1.
After realizing that my novel is still in the canteen,I immediately go outside to get it.
After going down from second floor,I noticed Ayumi-san,who is talking to Kanakura-san.
I remember the words of Ayumi-san earlier while we are interviewing Tachibana-san.That even though she considered everyone as a 'friend',she doesn't have someone who she called a 'bestfriend'.After witnessing this moment,I think she was wrong afterall.She already her 'bestfriend'.She just don't want to admit or she haven't realize it.
But that's okay.Friendship is a wonderful.It was probably the most important thing to experience in school.But of course,you need to choose who will be your friends,as they may betray you at the end.But in this school,in the past ten months,I haven't noticed any kind of quarrel between people who are close to each other.And that was good to see.
Anyways,I also saw the three gals-Reina-san
Hoshino-san and Ichika-san.As usual,they in their meeting place(in the big tree).They are talking to each other,probably disscusing some topics and stuffs.
Aside from them,I haven't seen the others.
They are probably in somewhere else.Since I asked Ayumi-san to watch or visit them one-by-one,then there would no problem.
As I go to the canteen,I spotted someone familiar.She was sitting in the chair and using the table,reading a book.I realized that she was also in the exact place when I'm reading my novel earlier in the morning.I confirm it after seeing my novel and three chocolates near to her.
"Thank you for guarding my stuffs,Hiten-san."
I thought I surprised her with that sudden greeting but it seems like she already anticipated that I will come here to get my novel and chocolates.As she only looked at me with serious eyes.
"I'm not guarding them,Hashimoto-kun.In the first place,who would gonna steal a boring book like that?."
"Boring heh."
Well she was right about the fact that no one will gonna steal a book but you really don't have to say it is a boring one
"I think you haven't learn the beauty of mystery novels,Hiten-san."
"You're right.But I don't have the plan to learn them.I would rather spend time to learn new things from study book than to find out who was the murderer in mystery book."
"I see."
I couldn't help but to accept her harsh words.
Well you cannot force someone to your own ideals.How ironic,that we both love reading books,but we have different taste.
"By the way,what are you doing here?."
She asked a question that was supposed to be ask from the beginning.
"I came here to get my novel and chocolates."
"I see.Then get those things and disappear now in my sight.I don't want to by interrupted in studying."
Hmmm.Did she hate me?.I thought Reina-san and her friends are the only ones who hate me but are you also perhaps one of them,
Hiten-san?.Anyways,I tried to talk her more.
"Did you like some chocolates,Hiten-san?."
I tried to offer some,since I will not be able to eat all of this.
"Not interested.Go away now."
She really didn't want to talk to me huh.Okay,
this was the last resort.It was a little bit risky but I at least want to do it to her since the school year start.
I put my right hand to her left shoulder.
Hiten-san,whose head was so focus in the book she is reading,suddenly looked up to me.With that,I pulled out her glasses from her.I wear it and tried to asked her if this glasses suited to me.But importantly,this glasses is high-grade.Damn.
"What do you say,Hi-"
I couldn't finish my own question as I feel a strong grip in my right hand.When I looked at her,I saw that she was covering her face with her left hand,while griping my right hand with her left.
"Bring back my glasses and go away now,
Hashimoto"
She said in a low voice but with conviction.
From the looks of it,I'm sure she was angry.
She even called me in a strong manner.At the. end,I immediately gave her glasses.She received it with her left hand,turn her head around for a little and wear it immediately.
After that,I grabbed the things I needed and immediately left the canteen.
While going back to the classroom,I remember seeing her face that moment.No specifically,only her one eye that was slipping between her two fingers while covering it with her hand.That eye.It is an eye that you will only see from a murderer.
2.
After getting my stuffs from the canteen,I finally arrived again in the classroom.For now,I will just forget what happen earlier.I will let Hiten-san to cool her head off before giving her an apology.Yes,it was better to say sorry to her about my sudden actions.I mean,I didn't expect that kind of reation from her.Is she really don't want to show her face that much?.
Or did she got mad because I removed her glasses without permission?.Maybe both.
Anyways,let's put that aside and go back to my plan.
I opened first the chocolate bars in front of me and took a bite.From the taste of it,I can tell that both of these chocolates coming from Ayumi-san,Yahiro-san and late Chinatsu-
san are delicious and an expensive one.
I just realized that Chinatsu-san's chocolates are wrapped in a different way.Maybe she is the one who made this.You really don't have to spent time just making this for me,Chinatsu-
san.You can just buy one in a store just like Ayumi-san and Yahiro-san.
Anyways,after eating some,I put them again in the box.While I put Chinatsu-san's chocolate back in the plastic.Like I said earlier,I can't eat all of them.Maybe I will just take them home later.
I opened the mystery novel and flip the pages to search where I last read.After finding out,I finally continue reading.But as I read,I also reminiscing about what happen again in the last chapters.
'Strangulation Romanticist',the title of the book,also introduces a murder.But the difference is that instead of being stabbed,the victim,which is also coincidentally a girl,was killed by strangulation(hence the title itself).
Also,this book have more than one victim.
Specifically,a total of three.And the protaganist,the one who is also solving the murder have also a companion.And it was serial killer.What a weird book.I mean who would gonna thought that a serial killer can become a detective's assistant.
Anyways,I continue on reading.I'm only just need to read the solution part and epilogue.
After a long time,I finally finished it.
3.
I closed the book and put it back in my bag,
including the chocolates.
Anyways,how should I say this.The murder trick is not really mindblowing.It was actually easy to understand once you read that part.
And the motive of the murderer is crazy.
Overall,I can only describe this whole book in one word:nonsense.
Putting that matter aside,let's take a look again with the real thing.First is the place where the murder happen.Let me also describe the whole building itself.Let's say you are looking on the building in your front.
The classroom was located on the right side of of second floor.From the left side is the storage room.The principal office was located on the left side of first floor,while the spare room was located in the right side of the same floor.Both ends of the building have staircase.The restroom for the girls was located in the back,aligning the spare room.The other restroom(which is for me) was also located in the back,partially aligning the window in the principal office.
Next are the possible suspects and their primary locations.I'm in the canteen.Ayumi-
san and Kanakura-san was in the hallway of the first floor,in front of principal office.Hiten-
san was in the storage room.Yahiro-san was in the corridor on the second floor.Tachibana-
san and Onodera-san was in the staircase near in the classroom.Reina-san,Hoshino-san and Ichika-san was in their meeting place. Hosokowa was in the spare.And Takahashi-
sensei and principal was in the teacher/principal office.
The victim,Chinatsu-san was initially in the spare room together with Hosokawa-san.She go to the classroom to get something(proven by Tachibana-san and Onodera-san).But no one can prove if she really go down after that.
(Since Tachibana-san and Onodera-san didn't saw her coming down using the staircase;the same also with Reina-san,Hoshino-san and Ichika-san with the opposite staircase)
If that's the case,then that was time when the murder happens.But all of the possible suspects have their own alibi during that time.(Some was vouched by others).
That's when the idea of the murder happen after the earthquake came to my mind.Of course,I'm still not one hundred percent sure about this but that's why I need to ask again some specific people.
After reminiscing all the facts I collected so far,I stood up in my chair and decided to proceed on my next plan.After thinking some time,I finally decided who should I approach first.
"Okay,let's asked her first."
After opening the door,a thought came to my mind.Or should I say,I swear to something.
That I will be absent every Valentines Day from now on.