Ownership of the Book of the Night Sky

It was already past seven when they got home.

"I'll go take a bath first, then."

"Wait, Huo Lin." Hayate clearly had something else to say, but when Huo Lin actually stopped and looked at her, she began to falter.

"What is it?"

"Um, actually, there's something I'd like to ask you."

Huo Lin said nothing, waiting for her to continue. Hayate usually spoke directly whenever something was on her mind, so this hesitation was unusual.

"Well... you know our club is planning to set up a Book Club. A lot of our classmates are interested in mystery novels, actually."

At the words "mystery novels," Huo Lin had a rough idea of what Hayate wanted to say.

If anyone else had brought up the subject, she would have refused immediately. She published detective novels purely to cover their living expenses. Beyond that, she wanted nothing to do with it.

But this was Hayate asking. Huo Lin hesitated and chose to listen quietly without interrupting.

Hayate also knew her request was asking a bit much.

"Um, everyone really likes Mr. Kudo's work, so it would be wonderful if he could come to our Book Club meeting."

Of course, Hayate knew who "Mr. Kudo" was. Apart from Huo Lin herself, she was the only person who knew. She had even read Baron of the Night long before it was published.

At the time, she had simply thought it was amazing. Huo Lin was an elementary school student just like her, yet she could write like an adult.

Only after it was actually published and caused such an enormous sensation did Hayate realize what those words meant.

The fact that her twin "brother" could command language like that and win such acclaim filled her with pride.

With a child's urge to show off, she badly wanted to tell everyone that the author was her "brother." But she knew it would cause Huo Lin trouble, so naturally, she would never tell anyone.

Still, she wondered whether something as minor as "I know Mr. Kudo" or "I can invite him to the School Festival" would bother Huo Lin.

Huo Lin was indeed a little troubled-she simply found it a hassle.

She pressed a hand to her forehead and raked her fingers through the loose strands there. She had already removed her disguise hair clip after entering the house, so now Huo Lin looked exactly like Hayate. The two of them were like mirror images.

"Do you really want 'Mr. Kudo' to come?"

"Actually, I let it slip once that I knew Mr. Kudo. When people asked, I lied and said he was a distant relative... I'm sorry."

Huo Lin let out a breath.

"There's nothing to apologize for."

She understood how Hayate felt. They were twins, after all, and had grown up together.

Unlike Huo Lin, who had memories of a previous life, Hayate had been hit much harder by their parents' deaths when she was six. After being adopted and living under someone else's roof, she had always felt somewhat inferior.

That was also why Huo Lin had insisted without hesitation on leaving their uncle's home.

She could support herself and Hayate, so there was no need to live dependent on someone else.

In the Island Nation, literary circles always stood high above everyone else, and detective novelists held a fairly respected position even within those circles. Having a relative like that gave Hayate something to lean on emotionally.

It was hardly surprising, then, that she had let it slip.

"All right. 'Mr. Kudo' will come to the School Festival. But only for the one-hour lunch break. Our Literature Club still has a restaurant to run."

If Huo Lin wasn't there, who else in the Literature Club could make sushi?

"Thank you, Huo Lin!" Hayate exclaimed in delighted surprise.

"Oh, right, there's something I need to tell you, too. It's about the Book of the Night Sky."

At the mention of the Book of the Night Sky, Hayate immediately grew serious. She still remembered how that magical tome had left her paralyzed for several months over half a year ago.

"I've found a way to eliminate the danger posed by the Book of the Night Sky completely. But since it originally recognized you as its master, that bond has to be severed. After that, it will become my Device. In other words, I'll be taking it away from you."

Hayate blinked.

"That's all?"

"Yes. You should know that the Book of the Night Sky is an extremely valuable Device."

"I know, but I can't use it."

Not only could she not use it, but the Book of the Night Sky had left Hayate with nothing but frightening memories. There was nothing about it she wanted to hold on to.

She couldn't get rid of it soon enough.

Besides, Huo Lin was her only family. If Huo Lin needed it, Hayate had no objections whatsoever.

Although she had known all along that this would be the answer, hearing Hayate say it herself freed Huo Lin of any lingering guilt.

She was actually quite fond of the Book of the Night Sky. It contained a wealth of information on all kinds of magic. If its tendency to go berserk could be resolved, it would be an absolute treasure.

"I'm going to take a bath. Do you want to come too, Huo Lin?"

"I'll go after you're done."

Hayate genuinely didn't mind. She was nine, and according to the Island Nation's customs, girls in many families still bathed with their older brothers or fathers at twelve or thirteen.

Hayate didn't give much thought to distinctions between boys and girls. Besides, Huo Lin was now a girl in every sense.

To her, sisters bathing together would be lively and fun. Simply being together as a family was enough.

But since Huo Lin didn't want to, she wouldn't push her.

Half an hour later, when Hayate came out of the bath, she found Huo Lin tinkering with something on the living room table.

"I'm done. What's this?"

"Posters."

Hayate walked over for a closer look and realized they were posters of "Yusaku Kudo."

"The publisher prepared these for my earlier book signing. They had some extras, so they gave them to me."

They called them "extras," but in fact, publishers routinely set some aside for the authors themselves, whether posters or souvenirs, so the authors could give them away when needed.

"I also have some posters of Keigo Higashino. Do you want those?"

"Yes!"

Of course Hayate wanted them. She had been thinking about what they needed to prepare for the Cooking Club's Book Club, and these posters had arrived just in time!

"Why do you have posters of Mr. Higashino?"

Hayate actually loved reading. She had joined the Cooking Club because she wanted to learn to cook, since it wasn't fair to leave all the work to Huo Lin. Reading was her true interest.

So naturally, Hayate knew that these posters weren't sold to the public. They were limited-edition giveaways handed out at book signings, unless you went hunting for them among fan clubs.

It wasn't strange for Huo Lin to have posters of "Yusaku Kudo," but where had she gotten the ones of Keigo Higashino?

And they even bore Mr. Higashino's handwritten signature.

"When I held my book signing, Mr. Higashino had signings on those same two days. We happened to run into each other, so we exchanged some."

Publishers might be at each other's throats over sales, but the authors were fairly friendly. On the surface, at least, they were all polite and deferential to one another.

"Do you want the 'Kudo' posters signed?"

The Keigo Higashino posters were signed, but the Yusaku Kudo ones weren't yet.

"Yes, I want them signed!"

Although Huo Lin would be writing them herself, they would still be genuine handwritten autographs from Yusaku Kudo.

Huo Lin took out a pen and briskly signed Yusaku Kudo's name on the posters.

When she reached the last one, she thought for a moment, then added a line before the name: "To Hayate Yagami. Wishing you success in your studies."

"Wow! Could you write another one for the Cooking Club?"

Huo Lin casually picked up a poster she had just signed and added another line before the name: "To the Cooking Club of University of Tokyo Affiliated Takada Elementary School. Wishing you a bright and promising future."

With these posters, Hayate had a feeling their Cooking Club's anniversary Book Club would surely be one of the school's standout events.

Elementary school students might not necessarily be interested in detective novels, but not everyone attending the anniversary celebration would be an elementary school student.

"Huo Lin, do you need any help on your end? If your Literature Club is running a restaurant, our Cooking Club could at least come lend a hand."

Huo Lin was always the one helping her, and that made Hayate feel a little guilty.

Although curry was the only complete dish their Cooking Club could make, they could still handle supporting tasks like preparing ingredients.

"Sure, if you have the energy to spare."

Huo Lin didn't refuse.