By the ti he reached the second floor, the preparatory bell hadn't rung yet.
Instead of heading straight to his classroom, Hikigaya turned the other way toward Class J.
Nikaido was planning to find Miura today; that was the plan she had settled on at the Service Club in the previous loop.
He had to stop her before she acted.
Arriving at the door of Class J, he ca to a halt.
The door was open, and people were coming and going in the hallway. A few girls passed by him, whispering about sothing in low voices; he couldn't hear them clearly, nor did he want to.
He peered into the classroom. Nikaido Hiro was sitting in the first row by the window, organizing her notes.
Her long black hair draped down, obscuring half of her face, but that "perfect honors student" aura emanated from her naturally.
Standing at the entrance, Hikigaya hesitated on how to call out to her.
Should he go straight in? Or ask soone to call her out?
"Hi there! Hey, fellow student, you've been loitering at the door of Class J for quite a while now~"
Hikigaya turned his head. A girl was standing behind him, tilting her head as she looked at him with a brilliant smile on her face.
Her light-blue hair was tied into ring-braids with a bun on each side. She had straight bangs across her forehead, accented with blue ribbons and small flower decorations. Her large amber eyes were round and filled with inquisitive curiosity. Perched tilted on her head was a black detective hat adorned with blue flowers and white feathers.
Though she was wearing the school uniform properly, her right leg was in a black silk stocking while her left was in white lace, paired with black flat leather shoes. Her overall look was like a mix of British academic style blended with so strange detective elents.
"And you are...?"
"I am the Great Detective, Tachibana Sherry!" the girl said giggled, even giving him a salute. "You look like you've got a lot on your mind, fellow student~"
"Great Detective?"
"Exactly, exactly!" Tachibana Sherry leaned in a bit closer, her amber eyes scanning him from head to toe. "Let deduce this~ For a student standing hesitantly at the door of Class J, are you here to find soone? Or do you want to secretly stuff a love letter in a desk but don't dare go in? Or... are you actually casing the joint to prepare for a robbery?"
"...Finding soone."
"Oh? Finding soone." The girl's eyes lit up. "Then here's the problem: you're standing hesitantly at the door, which ans the person you're looking for is in this class. But you won't go in, which ans you don't want to be seen by too many people."
Tilting her head, the girl crossed her arms in a thinking pose: "Is it that you owe soone in Class J money, and you're here to pay them back today but are afraid of getting yelled at?"
"No..."
"Then it's that you accidentally hit soone from Class J with your bike yesterday, and you're here to apologize today but don't know how to start the conversation?"
"..."
"No, no." Tachibana Sherry shook her head, closing her eyes in thought; she seed to realize how ridiculous her previous deductions were.
Then, she suddenly snapped her eyes open, excited again, and held up a finger.
"I've got it! The person you're looking for is very important to you, but you're also a bit nervous, which ans the person you're looking for is likely a girl. Because if it were a boy, you'd just go in and call him out without being so hesitant. Furthermore, your eyes are darting around, which ans what you have to say is very important or very awkward for you. Therefore, the conclusion is... you have a secret crush on a girl in Class J and finally gathered the courage to confess today! How's that? Did Great Detective Shirley's deduction hit the bullseye?"
'This girl...' though her process was completely wrong, her guess at the result was actually quite accurate.
Of course, Hikigaya couldn't possibly admit it right now, so he remained silent.
"So..." The girl stared at his expression and suddenly clapped her hands. "You're here for Nikaido Hiro."
Hikigaya was taken aback for a mont.
The girl looked at him, her smile deepening with a triumphant "I knew I called it" air.
"You blanked out just now. I definitely guessed right—you're here for Hiro."
'This girl... how did she guess that?'
"So, what are you to Hiro?" The girl leaned in, her large amber eyes darting back and forth across his face. "Let continue my deduction. You have urgent business with Hiro, but you don't want others to know, which is why you were hesitating at the door. And when Hiro arrived this morning, her expression was also different from usual. Synthesizing the above clues..."
She held up two fingers.
"The two of you are dating in secret, but you had a fight today, so you've co to make up. Is that it?"
Hikigaya looked at her. It seed he had been overthinking; this person's reasoning ability was just like her detective hat—purely decorative.
"No." He felt the need to defend himself.
"Then what is it?" The girl puffed out her cheeks. "How could a Great Detective's deduction be wrong? You're definitely covering it up."
Her voice wasn't exactly quiet, and a few people in the hallway were already looking over.
Hikigaya started to feel a headache coming on.
Her eyes suddenly went wide.
"Wait, don't tell you aren't here for Hiro? You're here to confess to a boy! Because a confession between the sa sex requires even more courage, that's why you're being so hesitant!"
Hikigaya: "..."
'What on earth is she talking about?'
Just as he was about to speak, Nikaido Hiro walked out of the classroom.
She glanced at Hikigaya, then at the blue-haired girl.
"Tachibana-san, please lower your voice. Everyone is doing self-study."
"Ehehe, sorry, sorry~" Tachibana Sherry stuck out her tongue.
"Hiro, this student is here for you. I saw him standing at the door refusing to co in, so I helped him deduce his relationship with you. But he won't admit anything! Tell , tell —what's your relationship? Are you dating in secret?"
Nikaido ignored her and looked at Hikigaya.
"Sothing the matter?"
Hikigaya nodded.
Nikaido stepped out and pulled the door shut.
"Let's go then. To the stairwell landing."
"Eh~" Tachibana Sherry's eyes sparkled. "Where are you going? I want to go too! The Great Detective must witness everything!"
In the hallway, Tachibana Sherry was still standing there, her eyes shining as she stared at them.
Nikaido shot her a glance.
"Tachibana-san, you go back first."
"Eh? But I want to hear too."
"It has nothing to do with you."
"But I'm a Great Detective! A Great Detective should participate in all interesting things."
Nikaido didn't say anything more; she just looked at her.
Tachibana Sherry locked eyes with her for two seconds, then shrugged.
"Fine, I'll go in then. But Hiro, if you really are dating in secret, you have to tell ! A Great Detective will help you keep the secret."
She gave a thumbs up and pushed the door to go back inside.
Hikigaya followed Nikaido toward the stairwell landing.
He could feel the curious gazes from the Class J classroom, but he couldn't afford to care right now.
Reaching the corner of the stairs, Nikaido leaned against the wall and looked at him.
"Ignore her," she said. "She's just like that."
Hikigaya nodded.
"So, what is it?"
"Don't go looking for Miura today."
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