Shiina Hiyori truly didn't have the courage to go to the Class 1-A room alone to look for soone. The feeling of being stared at by a sea of unfamiliar eyes was a form of torture for her.
However, Ryuen Kakeru had told her that she could use the help of her classmates during the investigation. But she thought about it carefully—among the people in Class C, not a single one seed skilled in social interaction.
Kaneda Satoru? His mind was indeed sharp, especially at strategizing, but he played more of a "tactician" role. Ishizaki Daichi and Yamada Albert went without saying—one was a short-fused ticking ti bomb, and the other struggled even to speak basic Japanese; expecting them to find soone in Class A would likely result in failure. As for Ibuki Mio... Shiina shook her head. With her violent temper, she'd probably get into a fight with Class A before even seeing Sakayanagi Arisu.
After weighing her options, it seed the most direct thod was still to seek help from Shimizu Akira. But last ti, she had firmly asserted that she could handle this herself. Seeking him out now would seem inconsistent, even carrying a hint of the embarrassnt that cos with admitting defeat.
'If this were a real detective, how would they break this deadlock?'
She had read so many mystery novels and clearly rembered chapters where, when the assistant was absent and the detective faced a stalemate alone, there was always a unique solution. How did those lone detectives tear through the fog?
As her thoughts swirled, a figure suddenly jumped into her mind.
'Ichinose Honami.'
With the communication skills of the Class B leader, finding soone to help shouldn't be a problem. More importantly, Ichinose knew she was investigating the surveillance rental and had never shown a hint of prejudice because she was a Class C student; her attitude was always open and warm. After parting ways with Shimizu Akira that day, Ichinose had proactively offered to exchange contact info, saying it would be convenient to stay in touch if needed.
The tension in Shiina Hiyori's heart regarding the request for help seed to loosen. She picked up her phone and slowly typed a line on the screen:
Shiina Hiyori: Ichinose-san, could I trouble you to arrange a eting for with Sakayanagi Arisu from Class 1-A? It's still regarding the surveillance rental. As a token of my gratitude, I will transfer 2,000 points to you.
Not long after the ssage was sent, a reply ca back:
Ichinose Honami: I understand, please wait a mont.
Within minutes, Ichinose Honami sent an address:
Ichinose Honami: Go directly to this cafe. I've explained the situation to Sakayanagi-san; you can ask her directly when you arrive.
Ichinose Honami: Oh, and Shiina-san, you've probably never seen Sakayanagi Arisu, right? She has silver hair like you and usually carries a cane. She's very easy to identify.
Shiina Hiyori stared at the screen, montarily dazed. She hadn't expected the other girl to be so efficient—not only arranging the eting but even ntioning Sakayanagi's physical traits. She truly hadn't t Sakayanagi before. But since she carried a cane, she would indeed be able to recognize her at a glance.
Shiina Hiyori: Thank you so much, Ichinose-san!
Ichinose Honami: No need for such politeness! Actually, I was a bit surprised myself; when Sakayanagi-san heard you were investigating the surveillance, she agreed almost without hesitation. Honestly, I think the result would have been the sa even if you had gone to her class to find her.
Ichinose Honami: Don't worry about the points for now; it was just a small favor! If I ever run into trouble in the future, I'll just ask for Shiina-san's help then.
Shiina Hiyori put down her phone and looked at the cloud shadows passing by outside the window, a subtle ripple of emotion in her heart. Beyond her gratitude for Ichinose, she felt a growing confusion regarding Sakayanagi Arisu—agreeing to et so readily was far beyond her expectations. Did Sakayanagi guess she would co looking, or did she have other plans?
She gripped her phone, stood up, and headed toward the address.
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The agreed-upon cafe was tucked away in a corner behind the school building, its wooden sign glowing warmly in the afternoon sun. As Shiina Hiyori pushed open the door, the wind chis jingled softly, and her eyes imdiately landed on a window seat—a cute silver-haired girl was holding a white porcelain coffee cup, a cane resting beside her.
Certain that she was Sakayanagi Arisu, Shiina walked over.
"Um... Hello, Sakayanagi-san. I am Shiina Hiyori from Class 1-C."
"Shiina-san, please have a seat," Sakayanagi's voice was even more pleasant than she had imagined. "Ichinose-san told everything. I heard you've been investigating the 'mysterious person' for quite so ti?"
Shiina Hiyori pulled out a chair and sat down, nodding.
"Yes, it's been several weeks. I wanted to confirm with you..."
"Confirm whether I am that 'mysterious person'?" Sakayanagi interrupted her, a smile playing in her eyes that didn't quite reach the depths.
"The answer is no."
She raised a hand to call the waiter, ordered a cup of black tea, and pushed it toward Shiina. "Like you, I am very curious about who rented the surveillance to the school."
Sakayanagi twirled a silver spoon with her fingers; the light clinking of tal against the cup was exceptionally clear in the quiet cafe.
"So, Shiina-san, why don't you tell first? What have you investigated these past few days, and what clues do you have?"
Shiina Hiyori instinctively pursed her lips, the silence turning over on her tongue. From the mont she stepped into the cafe, she felt the rhythm was being dictated by the other girl—she had co with questions, but now she was the one being interrogated. She had originally intended to ask directly if Sakayanagi had rented the caras and confirm a few suspicious points.
"My apologies," Sakayanagi suddenly laughed softly, the silver spoon stopping at the bottom of the cup.
"It seems my stance isn't very much like soone being questioned. Hehe... you should ask first."
She had noticed herself that she was being a bit overbearing. The girl in front of her sat with her head down, her silver hair covering half her face, her fingertips tightening—she was clearly not skilled at handling such scenes. If she actually scared her off, it wouldn't be fun anymore.
Shiina Hiyori took a deep breath and looked up at her.
"Actually, I obtained a list from the electronics store of people who bought computers, and your na, along with two other Class A students, was on it. May I ask what your purpose was for buying the computer?"
Sakayanagi raised her eyebrows with a shallow smile.
"Just like Ryuen Kakeru from your class, it was naturally to take it to the Student Council so they could install the surveillance software. After all, our Class A also spent 3 million private points to rent the surveillance; we couldn't let that effort go to waste."
"...Would it be convenient for to see the relevant chat logs?" Shiina pressed.
"I can do that," Sakayanagi drawled, her gaze circling Shiina's face.
"But in exchange, you must tell every detail you've discovered. Is that a deal?"
Shiina hesitated for a mont but eventually nodded. "...Alright."
"This is the chat log on my phone." Sakayanagi pushed her phone over, showing a dialogue interface with soone. "There's no doubt the other party is that Yue student."
Shiina Hiyori picked up the phone, her finger sliding across the screen as she carefully read page after page. The content of the logs was orderly and clearly related to the business of renting surveillance.
However, just as she was about to reach the last few pages, Sakayanagi Arisu suddenly tapped the tabletop with her finger.
"Wait a mont. I can't let you see the content after that. Those are 'private' words between 'him' and . These previous records should be enough to prove my innocence, shouldn't they?"
Shiina stopped her movents and looked up into the other girl's athyst eyes. The smile remained, but it was like a veil, making it impossible to see the thoughts hidden behind. Shiina silently handed the phone back, her suspicion spreading like a drop of ink in water—this deliberate act of concealnt actually made things seem more suspicious.
But to be fair, the earlier chat logs did prove that Sakayanagi Arisu had indeed made a transaction with the "mysterious person."
"Um... that... I'm sorry." She lowered her head and whispered an apology.
"No need to apologize." Sakayanagi took back her phone, her fingers quickly tapping the screen. As her eyes swept over a log entry from last month, her shoulders relaxed imperceptibly. She looked up at Shiina, her tone losing so of its composure and gaining a hint of urgency: "Tell , who are the other two people in Class A who bought computers?"
Shiina Hiyori silently gave the nas of the two people from Class A. Sakayanagi Arisu's efficiency was staggering; upon hearing them, she dialed her phone right there in the cafe. She pulled a pair of white earphones from her pocket and handed them to Shiina.
"Put these on, Shiina-san."
Shiina put the earphone in her ear, and the conversation between Sakayanagi and the other party imdiately ca through. The questions were astoundingly precise—from the specific model of the computer to communication details with the rchant, and even how many hours the computer had been used. Every question hit the mark.
Shiina Hiyori sat to the side, unconsciously picking at the coaster with her fingernail.
She suddenly realized that if it were her, she might not have been able to ask so thoroughly. The other girl's speaking pace was steady, yet carried an invisible pressure, as if she had already predicted every possible loophole.
Furthermore, she had even prepared the earphones in advance—this ant Sakayanagi Arisu had expected this confrontation from the very beginning.
"With that, the suspicion for everyone in Class A should be cleared, right?" Sakayanagi hung up the phone, her tone calm as if stating an established fact.
"...Yes, it seems so." Shiina Hiyori nodded, picking up the earphone to hand it back. "Um, Sakayanagi-san, your earphone..."
Sakayanagi Arisu fell silent for an instant. Her first instinct was that she didn't want it anymore—the earphone had already been worn by the other person. To be honest, these were the latest model of Bluetooth earphones she had specifically bought, and she hadn't even used them much herself. But then, a mory of Shimizu Akira complaining in the chat logs about her throwing trash away at a convenience store flashed through her mind, and a flicker of inexplicable irritation rose.
"...Just leave them on the table for now," she finally said flatly.
"...Okay." Shiina Hiyori nodded, a trace of surprise crossing her mind. She couldn't help but peek at the other girl.
She had almost instinctively thought that Sakayanagi might just give her the earphones. After all, her impression of her so far was soone calm, transparent, and brilliant—carrying the pride and detachnt of a high-born young miss who wouldn't care about the ownership of such small items.
"So, it's your turn to tell about the investigation process," Sakayanagi Arisu replied without looking up.
"There are only 21 minutes and 15 seconds left before afternoon classes. I'll ask a few questions, and you just answer."
"Alright..." Shiina Hiyori complied. This Q&A style of communication was indeed efficient and ti-saving, sparing her the trouble of organizing her logic to recount everything from the start. But looking at those seemingly calm eyes, she felt that perhaps the Class A girl was simply tired of being questioned and wanted to use the opportunity to return that feeling of being scrutinized.
Moreover, Sakayanagi had accurately stated the ti remaining before class without even looking at a clock. This person was truly not simple. Truly a genius of Class A. Shiina Hiyori couldn't help but feel a sense of admiration, genuinely marveling at her sharpness and intelligence.
"First question—" Sakayanagi Arisu leaned forward slightly.
"After hearing what I've said, do you know who the 'mysterious person' is now?"
"...Not yet." Shiina Hiyori's cheeks flushed slightly as she looked down in embarrassnt.
"Second question." Sakayanagi continued without a pause, her tone steady.
"Have the computer purchasers in the other three classes already been investigated?"
"Yes, they've all been checked," Shiina Hiyori looked up and answered seriously.
"It's just a bit of a sha; every person who bought a computer seems to have a clear and reasonable use for it."
Sakayanagi tapped the rim of her cup with her finger, as if digesting this answer or preparing the next question.
"Third question—" Sakayanagi's finger tapped the tabletop.
"In the other classes, were you the one who asked about the computer-related matters personally? Given your performance today, I don't believe you have that level of social ability. Did Ichinose do it for you?"
"That... no." Shiina Hiyori shook her head and answered truthfully. "I left it to my assistant."
"Fourth question." A hint of interest finally seeped into Sakayanagi's tone, her voice rising slightly. "And who is your assistant?"
"It's Shimizu Akira from Class 1-D."
"So it was Shimizu-kun." Sakayanagi began to chuckle, her bell-like laughter echoing in the quiet cafe.
"Hehehe... how interesting. And why was he so set on helping you?"
"Because I happened to et him in the library, and... I also paid points as a reward," Shiina Hiyori said, her fingers tightening unconsciously.
"How much?" Sakayanagi pressed, the scrutiny in her eyes deepening.
"30,000 points," Shiina Hiyori answered softly.
As soon as she spoke, Sakayanagi raised her eyebrows as if she had heard an unexpected number. She picked up her long-cold coffee and took a sip, a flash of astonishnt in her eyes—as if this answer surprised her more than all the previous clues combined.
"Alright, that's about all I wanted to ask." Sakayanagi Arisu stood up, placing her hand on the edge of the table. As her gaze swept over the tabletop, she reached out and slipped the earphones into her pocket anyway.
"Let's leave it at that for now."
"Wait!" Shiina Hiyori spoke up hurriedly, her fingertips trembling with urgency. "I still have one thing I'd like to ask of Sakayanagi-san..."
"Oh?" Sakayanagi turned around and simply looked at her. "You haven't even uncovered the 'mysterious person's' identity. What makes you think I would help you now?"
Shiina Hiyori took a deep breath and t her gaze. "...The thing I want to ask for can actually lock down the true identity of the 'mysterious person' in one go."
This sentence was like a stone thrown into a still lake, causing the dismissiveness on Sakayanagi's face to vanish instantly. She stopped her steps and refocused her gaze on Shiina, her tone gaining an undetectable edge of seriousness: "Let's hear it."
"I need Sakayanagi-san to find your horoom teacher."
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