I sat on my bed early in the morning while buttoning up my shirt.
I never even agreed to this, yet somehow I ended up obligated to go with Yukinoshita.
No… there's still room to refuse. The moment I meet her, I'll reject the idea and return to my room.
Yeah. I can do it.
I quickly finished buttoning my shirt, grabbed my phone, and left the room.
I took the elevator down to the lobby where Yukinoshita was quietly waiting for me. She was wearing a light blue dress that matched her eyes.
The moment the elevator opened, she quickly turned toward me.
"Hikigaya-kun, you came… you seem excited to go," Yukinoshita said with a sly smile.
"Hah… what part of me looks excited?" I honestly don't know what she's talking about exactly. My gloomy face? Or my rotten eyes?
"Hmmm… from what I can see, you were so excited that you didn't even button your shirt properly," Yukinoshita said while pointing at my shirt.
"Ah…"
I looked down at my shirt. The buttons were fastened in a messy way.
All because I was irritated.
I turned the other way with my back facing Yukinoshita, then undid all the buttons and fastened them properly again.
This looks better.
Now comes the moment of absolute refusal, then I'll return to my room.
I put my hand in my pocket before quickly turning toward her.
Yukinoshita approached and stood beside me before grabbing my arm.
Panic struck me for a moment, and I almost jumped from my spot, but I barely managed to control myself at the last second.
"What's this…" Why would she do that without any warning?
"Ah… well… just so you… don't run away," Yukinoshita muttered broken words while looking downward.
Well… she's right. It's better if she holds onto me tightly.
I might run away at any moment.
I feel like I wanted to say something, but I forgot what it was…
We left the dorm together and started walking.
I still didn't know where we were headed.
"Where are we going?" She must've arranged a meeting with the girl or at least know where to find her.
"We're going to the library… every time I go there on weekends, I find her there," Yukinoshita said.
If she spends most of her time in the library, then finding her should be easy.
I haven't visited the library in a while. Maybe this is a good opportunity to see if they have anything new.
"So… what do you think about playing the bad cop while I play the good cop?" It's better to settle these basics before we arrive.
"Why are you bringing that up now?" Yukinoshita raised her head toward me, confused by my words.
"It's an essential part of interrogation, so we should decide beforehand…" Every detective novel I've read had those two roles.
"Hmmm… why would I be the bad cop?" Yukinoshita placed her free hand on her chin while thinking.
"Isn't it obvious? You're good at scaring people."
Yukinoshita shot me a cold glare while tightening her grip on my arm.
That hurts…
"I'm pretty sure your eyes scare them more…"
"Ugh… you might be right."
"Besides, we're only going there to talk," Yukinoshita said.
I honestly don't know what exactly they'll talk about. The only thing I'm good at discussing is work. As for normal conversations, I'm terrible at them.
I'll leave things to Yukinoshita…
After a short walk, we arrived at the library. It was quiet and almost empty.
The moment we entered, Yukinoshita quickly released my arm and walked ahead of me.
I started wandering around, inspecting the books on the shelves. They really respect all kinds of tastes here. Even cooking books had their own section.
My fingers traced across the books one after another until I found an Italian cooking book.
Hmm…
I've tasted cheap Italian dishes before at Saizeriya in Chiba.
To put it simply, it didn't suit me. Traditional dishes are probably better.
If these kinds of books exist here, then maybe light novels exist too. Anything is possible.
"Hikigaya-kun, stop fooling around and come over here…" Yukinoshita called me in a quiet voice out of respect for library rules.
I wasn't fooling around. I was looking at books… well, I guess that counts as fooling around too.
I headed toward her to see what was going on.
The library was empty because it was the weekend, but there was one silver-haired girl sitting alone enjoying her book.
I couldn't see her face because the book completely covered it.
"That's the girl…" Yukinoshita pointed toward the only girl in the library.
Looks like finding her was easy.
Yukinoshita approached her, so I followed behind.
"Hello, Shiina-san…" Yukinoshita greeted her.
The girl slowly raised her eyes from the book.
The book still covered half her face, so the only thing I could see were her violet eyes overflowing with calmness. They gave a completely different impression from everything I'd heard about Class C.
Were the rumors about them false? Or was she simply an exception?
She lowered the book from her face, revealing a sincere smile.
"Yukinoshita-san… I haven't seen you in a while…" The girl stood up, placing the book on the table before greeting Yukinoshita.
Calm and polite. Are we really sure she's from Class C?
"I've been busy lately, so I haven't visited the library," Yukinoshita said before sitting in the chair opposite her. The girl sat down as well.
But then she noticed my presence and started staring at me curiously.
She's probably wondering what this strange guy is doing here.
I'm used to that.
Yukinoshita realized I looked like some suspicious weirdo just standing there, so she decided to introduce me.
"This is Hikigaya Hachiman…" She gestured toward me.
"Ah… Yukinoshita-san's classmate…" The girl stood up once more and bowed slightly. "I'm Shiina Hiyori from Class C. Nice to meet you…"
I became flustered by how respectfully she treated me and didn't know how to respond.
So I simply nodded awkwardly with an embarrassed smile before sitting beside Yukinoshita.
So her name is Shiina…
"Yukinoshita-san, the book you recommended was wonderful… every time, I admire your taste more," Shiina naturally started talking about books.
"I'm glad you liked it… the novel you gave me was also good. The beginning was somewhat slow, but the ending was perfect," Yukinoshita replied with a calm smile.
It's rare to see her discussing something with someone like this…
Most of the time, she just mocks me. Meanwhile, she treats everyone else gently.
"Yes, the beginning was almost boring, but things changed after the protagonist met his family… perhaps those kinds of events are what make stories enjoyable," Shiina enthusiastically continued discussing books with Yukinoshita.
But what is this shallowness? How dare they…
"Characters are what make stories great, not events…" I lightly tapped the table with my finger.
I won't allow anyone to violate these sacred principles…
Characters are more important than events. In fact, they're the ones who create the events.
Silence fell over the conversation after my sudden interruption.
Shiina looked at me and merely blinked slowly.
"Hikigaya-kun… do you also like… books?" The girl seemed nervous because of my sudden interruption.
But Yukinoshita quickly stepped in.
"Shiina-san, he does read books, but his taste is very strange… also, Hikigaya-kun, nobody said characters weren't important…" Yukinoshita glared at me after my stupid interruption.
What disrespect is this? My taste is rich and diverse. I enjoy all genres. Doesn't that make me superior?
"It seems fun to have a classmate interested in books… honestly, I feel jealous," A trace of sadness appeared in Shiina's eyes as she lowered her head slightly.
Maybe she suffers from loneliness inside her class…
I still think this school's class hierarchy system is suspicious.
"Shiina-san, how are things in your class?" Yukinoshita seized the opportunity to bring up the topic of classes.
Shiina raised her head and looked at Yukinoshita.
"Well… my class is… about the same as always," Shiina answered.
Seems like nothing changed in Class C after the incident. That makes sense. They're the ones playing the victims.
"You know about the issue between our classes, right…? Do you know anything?" Yukinoshita asked.
Shiina slowly nodded while playing with her fingers on the table.
"Yes, of course I heard about it… but I don't know anything else."
I carefully observed her, trying to detect any change in her tone or expression.
She could be lying to us or trying to mislead us. We need to consider that possibility.
"So… you don't know anything? Like whether the incident was planned?" I tried not to sound too direct or accuse her class outright.
Even so, Shiina didn't seem bothered by my words.
"Yes. I heard about the incident from the teacher's announcement…" Shiina said.
Seems like she learned about the incident the same way most students did.
"What about… your class leader?" Yukinoshita asked, since every class had chosen a leader.
Class D still hasn't officially acknowledged any leader yet. Everyone just does whatever they want.
"You mean Ryuen-kun…? He doesn't talk about this incident at all in class… it's almost like he isn't interested."
Not interested?
I slightly raised an eyebrow.
I don't know this Ryuen person, and I've never seen him before, but from what I know, even if the incident wasn't planned and his classmates truly were victims, he should at least take action to defend them.
That's suspicious.
"He hasn't made any move since the announcement…" Yukinoshita placed a hand on her chin, thinking aloud.
Suddenly, I felt the urge to know more about this person…
"Only after our class dropped back to Class D did he give us some orders… like warning us about the other classes and telling us to inform him if anyone from another class contacted us," Shiina said.
That made me instinctively move my chair backward.
Maybe she'll report us for coming here, and he'll target us.
As if Shiina realized what I was thinking, she raised both hands to calm me down.
"Don't worry… I won't tell him anything. Besides, Yukinoshita-san and I always talk about books, so it's not strange for us to meet… and also… I don't know anything, so there's nothing I could tell you anyway."
Her words made sense.
Talking to her didn't really provide any new information.
Still, caution is necessary…
I looked at Yukinoshita. She was still sitting calmly in place as if Shiina's words hadn't affected her at all.
I really don't want to get targeted by a gang of delinquents…
Anyway, his caution increased after losing in the first month… maybe that's why he targeted us. He started seeing us as a threat.
Who exactly is this Ryuen guy…?
"Shiina-san, sorry for the strange question, but do you know where I might find this Ryuen exactly?" The best way to judge someone is to meet them directly.
Maybe it's finally time to use one of my 108 observation skills.
Shiina placed a finger on her chin while thinking.
"Maybe… at karaoke. He usually holds gatherings there…"
Karaoke?
Who spends their day off in a place like that?
"What are you planning to do?" Yukinoshita grabbed my shirt and quietly whispered.
"I'm going…" Since my day off is already ruined, ruining it even more won't matter.
"That's reckless… we don't know what kind of person we're dealing with. I'm coming with you." Yukinoshita tightened her grip on my shirt.
"No. I'll go alone… besides, I only plan to observe."
Any attempt at talking from me would probably fail anyway. I know that well.
And if Yukinoshita comes with me, things will become even more difficult. She attracts way too much attention.
The entire walk from the dorm to here, I could feel the stares of the students stabbing into my back.
"Fine… just don't do anything reckless." Yukinoshita loosened her grip on my shirt.
I simply nodded.
I don't usually say reckless things… well, not always. Only sometimes.
But I don't plan to do anything that would make the situation worse.
"Shiina-san, how will I recognize him?" All I know is his name, so I won't be able to identify him. Any small detail could help.
"Ah… you can recognize Ryuen-kun by his long purple hair."
Long purple hair?
That fits everything I've heard about him so far.
"Hmmm… thank you for helping us."
According to this school's rules, she's technically our enemy, so helping us like this is actually a huge thing.
"No, it's fine… besides, I always feel happy talking with Yukinoshita-san… I'd be glad if I could help her." An awkward smile appeared on Shiina's lips along with a sad look in her eyes.
This system is still annoying.
Even something as simple as communication between classes feels impossible because of it.
Whatever.
I nodded before leaving the library and heading toward the karaoke place.
I arrived at a place I never expected to visit before: the karaoke.
The most famous place among teenagers and high school students—a true symbol of youth. Honestly, what a filthy place.
Noisy voices everywhere. Songs and loud laughter filled the air.
No time for fooling around now.
I need to make sure whether he's here or not.
I headed toward the receptionist.
"Hello…"
After hearing my greeting, the employee stood up. Judging from his dead-looking eyes, he was clearly exhausted from work.
"Hello, would you like to make a reservation…?"
"Ah… yes."
"Here, choose the time that suits you…" he lazily handed me a sheet of paper before collapsing back into his chair.
This is what work does to people.
I started reading the sheet. It had reservation names and room numbers on it. My eyes moved through the names until I spotted a familiar one.
Ryuen Kakeru – Room 6
Found him.
I turned toward the rooms and started searching for my target until I found Room 6. I don't know whether my luck was good or bad, but the moment my eyes landed on it, the door opened and a group of boys came out.
At the front was a boy with slightly long purple hair, wearing black sunglasses and a short-sleeved shirt with the first three buttons open, exposing his chest muscles.
What surprised me even more was the person behind him—a dark-skinned student wearing black glasses, looking exactly like a bodyguard.
Is he also a student from Class C…? No, is he even the same age as me?
They really look like gang members.
As they walked past me toward the exit, I quickly turned my attention toward the counter where I had placed the paper.
It's better not to draw their attention right now.
I waited until they left, then put the paper back in its place and went out as well.
I watched them as they walked away from the building.
He really does look like an arrogant, domineering delinquent. Maybe the rumors about him are true.
But if he really is arrogant… then he might also be easy to deal with.
There was nothing left for me to do here, so I left.
I wandered around aimlessly until I found myself in the park.
I took a seat beneath a tree and quietly thought to myself… the image of those students was still stuck in my head. I had never seen anything like that before…
He really does seem conceited…
There's room to interfere if that's really his personality…
His pride and arrogance might blind him to what's happening around him…
Suddenly, my phone vibrated in my pocket. I quickly pulled it out—it was Yukinoshita.
"Yo…"
"Ah… Hikigaya-kun, Horikita-san contacted me just now. Ayanokouji-kun told her that the girl agreed to become a witness," Yukinoshita quickly explained through the phone.
I let out a deep sigh and closed my eyes tightly after hearing the news…
Looks like Ayanokouji's team succeeded.
There's no need to do it now.