"And then he points his finger at the old man and says, 'You are the culprit!'" I say while pointing my finger.
"That's such a lame conclusion to the story, Fujishige-kun…" She sighs.
The two of us are in the school library. While keeping our voices low so as not to disturb others, we have a petty argument with each other.
"Look, I'm not good at writing stories, okay? I'm just trying to motivate you to continue yours," I say.
"I told you already, didn't I? I wrote it simply because I was bored during the school holidays. Now that school is starting again, I have no interest in continuing it. No matter what you say and do, it's useless."
"So I was just wasting my time?"
"I appreciate your interest in motivating me. But if you'll allow me, I would like to continue reading and return to class after."
She makes it sound like I'm wasting her time as well.
"If I'm bothering you, you could have just told me from the beginning to shut up."
After I finish, she remains silent, seeming disinterested in talking further.
Since I also don't have anything to say anymore, I sit down next to her and look out of the window. Ahh… The weather is so nice today…
Either way, let me introduce myself. My name is Fujishige Shou. I'm a seventeen-year-old boy who's just entering the third year of high school.
This girl who's currently sitting next to me is Koizumi Ririsu, my classmate who also happens to be the author of an online murder mystery story I'm currently reading.
It surprised me that the one who wrote the story I enjoy is my own classmate, and it surprised me even more to learn that she's not interested in continuing the story. If that happens, I might roll around on my futon every night, unable to stop thinking about who the true culprit might be.
I'm a little disappointed. It seems I have failed to make her interested in continuing it.
Just when I think that, she starts glancing upwards and appears to be thinking about something.
"But wait… 'The old man is the culprit,' huh…?" she mutters.
"Huh?"
"Hmm… I might have gotten an idea. I guess I'll finish this story. But to make myself clear, I won't be writing anything anymore from now on. Will that satisfy you?"
"Eh? Really? I will be very happy if you do."
It appears I haven't completely failed like I thought I had. Now I can finally sleep in peace during the night.
"Just to clarify, you didn't continue the story because I forced you, right?" I ask.
"Well, you gave me an idea with the made-up story you told me earlier. And if I actually don't want to do it, I wouldn't do it no matter what you tell me. In other words, what I'm doing right now is by my own will."
"That's good then…"
What a relief. To make sure I don't spoil myself, I start looking in a different direction when she starts outlining the story on a piece of paper.
You might be wondering, what is going on here? How did I end up in this situation? Where and when did I meet this girl? Well then, let me start over from the very beginning.
It all began when I was making my way to school…
---
Introduction Arc
---
It is April 5th, and I'm finally entering my third year of high school. The sound of the busy traffic and loud cars buzzes in my ears as I walk by the side of the road.
Ikuei High School is one of the top schools in Japan with a high rate of successful students. Obviously, I am quite proud to be able to enroll in such a school.
I start thinking about all the things I should do in this school. In this new life in a completely new environment, first impressions matter. Once a person thinks of you in a certain way, that image will stick with you 'til the end. I need to be careful if I want to blend in.
Should I be quiet and studious? Or should I be friendly and outgoing? Maybe I can be kind and helpful so that people will warm up to me more easily? Or maybe I can just be someone average enough to not stand out.
Whatever it is, it's probably best to decide by the time I've made it there.
As I keep talking to myself inside my head, I hear something coming from a radio that is placed in front of a nearby store. It's a news broadcast.
"The twenty-five-year-old actress and founder of 'Butterfly4,' Hamasaki Erika, was shot yesterday evening. The police received a call from the victim's neighbor after hearing a gunshot at 9:20 PM. When the police arrived, the victim was found shot in the head and lying motionless in her father, Hamasaki Hideo's house. By the time the victim was brought to the hospital, she had been declared dead. The culprit has not yet been discovered, but the police have noted that a vase full of roses was found near the crime scene…"
Hmm… even though the broadcaster didn't specifically say it, it is clear that this is another one of those Red Rose cases. "A vase full of roses" is a direct giveaway.
I've been hearing that name, "Red Rose," quite a lot lately. Perhaps it's because I like reading about crimes and murders. Red Rose is very infamous in that aspect.
If you search "Red Rose" on the internet, you will find numerous articles and case reports regarding murder involving the individual known as Red Rose. Discussion about this mysterious criminal is exploding everywhere, making it one of the most talked-about figures in the world of crime. If you're even remotely interested in crime documentaries, you've definitely heard of this name.
After the news ends, the radio switches to a different channel. With that, I continue walking, taking each step closer to the new life I dream of.
"Hey! Make way for her. She can't see!"
Suddenly, I hear someone talking behind me. Eh, by any chance, are they scolding me?
I turn to see a group of people moving to the side to make way for a girl who seems to be around the same age as me. It appears their words weren't directed towards me after all.
She is holding a thin metal cane and keeps tapping it against the ground as she walks. Her eyes seem completely blank and unfocused. While walking, normally our eyes would look towards the direction we are heading, but her eyes look like they are staring at nothing.
I move to the side to make way. As she walks past me, I manage to have a good look at her features: she has a cute face with round eyes and short, somewhat-messy brown hair that just makes her seem even cuter.
As the cane clacks on the ground, suddenly she stops and starts turning left and right with a confused look. Then she takes out a piece of paper she has kept in her pocket and rubs the surface with her hand.
"Huh…? That's strange…" she mutters.
What in the world is she doing? Since the distance between us isn't that far, I decide to ask her:
"Excuse me, are you okay?"
"EEEHH!??" She jumps like a startled kitten.
"Oh, sorry! I didn't mean to surprise you."
"A-ah… It's fine. It's just, I didn't realize that there's someone next to me…!" she stammers.
"You look confused. I was wondering if you need help," I say.
"A-Actually, I am! I was trying to get to school. But ever since my family moved to a different house, going to school now requires a completely different route, and it confuses me!" she says.
I look at the paper she is holding and notice that it is a tactile map. It's the type that can be read with your fingers.
"Is that so… Where are you heading to?" I ask.
"It's called Ikuei High School. Do you know where it is?"
Hey, that's the exact same school I am heading towards.
"What a coincidence. It appears we're both going to the same place," I tell her.
"Eh? Really?"
Well, she looks the same age as me, and she's walking in the same direction as I am. It shouldn't be that much of a surprise that we're both students heading to the same school.
"Are you a first-year? Or…" she asks me.
"No, I'm a third-year."
"Oh! A fellow third-year. You must be a new student then!"
"Yeah, I just entered this year. How did you know?"
"I always make sure to memorize the voices of everyone I've met so far. I don't remember hearing your voice before, so I figured you must be a new student."
"I see. You have a good memory, huh?"
"Hehe~ I'm quite proud of how well I remember things," she says confidently while pointing to her head.
"Speaking of which, what's your name?" she asks.
"Ah, it's Fujishige Shou. What about you?"
"My name is Asahina Ayu. Nice to meet you, Fujishige-kun!" She smiles while flashing me a peace sign.
(insert image)
Her voice sounds high-pitched and sweet, like that of a chipmunk. For some reason, looking at her feels like looking at a box full of kittens. A single glance is enough to give anyone the "must protect" mentality.
"Since I'm also a third-year, I'm looking forward to knowing you better! Would you mind guiding me to school? Don't worry, I'll make sure to remember the route so that I can go there myself from now on," she says.
"Sure, I'm heading there anyway, so let's go together."
"Hehe, that's good~!" She jumps next to me and holds my hand.
"..." I had never held hands with a girl before. All of a sudden, my heart starts pounding.
"What's wrong, Fujishige-kun?" She tilts her head.
"A-Ah… It's nothing."
What the hell am I thinking right now? Asahina can't see, so the only way for me to guide her is by holding her hand. There's no reason for me to get nervous. I lightly smack my own head with my fist, then start walking towards school.
Feeling embarrassed, I try starting a new conversation. "Asahina-san, forgive me if I'm rude, but can I ask you something?"
"Yes~? What is it?"
"Are you fully blind?"
"Oh, I can still see where light is coming from. I can tell if something is brighter than another, but that's all that I can see. I am unable to see shapes or features at all."
"So all you see is a bit of light in the middle of nothingness?"
"Hehe~ yep, that's an accurate way to describe it. I sometimes use surrounding lights that I'm familiar with to navigate, but it's very limited. Sound and touch are much more reliable."
"I see… This is just my curiosity talking, but how exactly do you participate in school if you can't see or read?"
I thought there was a school specifically for visually impaired students, but Ikuei High School is a regular school.
"Well, I was usually provided with a laptop. If the teacher gave us work, it would be sent to my laptop and converted into a text-to-speech format. Of course, I will be provided with earphones so that I don't disturb the other students. After that, I just have to type in my answer. The keyboard is designed so that I can tell which key is which by touch. There's also a Braille study book for me to use."
Wow, that school is a lot more considerate than I thought.
"Though, the only reason why I was accepted to begin with is because of a special condition," she adds.
"Huh? Special condition?"
She then puts her finger in front of her lips. "It's a secret~"
"A secret…?"
While I'm still curious about what she means, she suddenly reaches out her arm and touches my shoulder. Once she realizes I am wearing a jacket, she asks:
"Fujishige-kun, what color is your jacket?"
"Eh? Oh, it's brown."
She then gives me a thin smile. "You see, I've been blind for as long as I can remember. I don't know what 'brown' is. Can you tell me in a different way?"
"Hmm…"
Now, how am I supposed to tell her what "brown" is? I take a pause, thinking of an answer that might satisfy her.
"Have you ever eaten chocolate before?" I ask.
"Hm? I like chocolates! They're sweet and delicious~" She sways left and right slightly.
"Well then, that taste is the color of my jacket."
"Oh!" For a moment, her expression changed, like she truly wasn't expecting my answer at all.
"That sounds like a really nice color!" She smiles brightly, seeming satisfied. "Thank you for telling me what brown is~"
Seeing her expression, I can't help but melt inside a little.
"What's wrong, Fujishige-kun? Your hand is sweating."
"Eh? I'm fine, don't worry about it!"
I am not used to this at all…
---
After a walk that felt like forever, we finally made it to school.
"Ah, we're here…" I murmur.
"Oh, we are?"
Asahina finally lets go of my hand, and I feel like my heart is about to pop out of my chest. If a student saw us holding hands like this, we'd probably be mistaken for a couple.
That said, the school itself is quite impressive. The main building is very big. The walls are painted white, and they look brand new, as if they've been repainted every year. Appearance-wise, the school really lives up to its reputation.
Even though today is just an orientation day, the school seems extremely crowded. I can see many students wandering about.
"Hmm… a lot of students have already started forming groups," I mutter as I look at those who are walking together while chatting happily.
"Maybe they've already been in a group since last year? I believe there were quite a lot of friend groups in this school. Most of them were people who happened to go to the same club. People tend to hang out with someone who has the same hobby or talent as them."
"So this school has clubs? What club do you join, Asahina-san?"
"Oh, me? I didn't really join any official clubs, but I am a member of the 'mystery club.'"
"Mystery club…?" That name gives me an eerie vibe. "What kind of club is that?"
"Good morning, Ayu-chan. Long time no see!" Suddenly, a female student with a ponytail calls out to her from a distance, cutting our conversation.
"Ah, Mizu-chan!" Asahina immediately rushes towards that person. "It's only been a few months since the last time we met, but your voice suddenly sounds deeper!" She jokes.
"Really? By the way, did I just get taller, or were you the one who got shorter?" Her friend replies while tapping Asahina's head. They both laugh happily.
And just like that, suddenly I feel like a wall has appeared between me and Asahina. I want to tag along and chat with them as well, but it feels awkward for me to join them when they're both girls.
Since it doesn't look like Asahina needs me anymore, I decide to slip away quietly and escape.
"Ah, also, this boy is a new student! His name is—" Asahina stretches her arm in my direction as if she's trying to grab my hand. But when she realizes that there's nothing within her reach, she turns around, confused. "Eh? Where did he go?"
Unfortunately, at that moment, I had already left.
---
"Hello everyone, my name is Fujishige Shou. I will be a part of this class from now on. Please take care of me!" I say while bowing, a simple self-introduction I give right after entering my new class.
"Nice to meet you, Fujishige-kun!" I am welcomed by the class with open arms. What a relief.
My class is class 3-B. The classroom itself is quite nice. The room is warm, and the desks are clean. I sit at my desk and have a look around.
I don't see any signs of discomfort in the class. Everyone seems to be getting along well. Most of them are either chatting with their friends or sitting together in a group… except for me; I'm currently sitting alone.
However, there's a female student who seems to be alone at her desk. The fact that she's alone makes her stand out from everyone else. She has long black hair tied in half-up pigtails and is currently reading a book.
Into the Dark, a book from TheBrenna Spector trilogy by Alison Gaylin. Into the Dark is the second book in that trilogy, and she seems to be on the last page. There's also a piece of paper placed on her desk.
I unintentionally stare at her for a while. It's quite a rare sight to see someone reading a Western-published mystery thriller book like Into the Dark. It's not really the type of book I expect to see a high school student read.
After paying attention, I begin to notice how beautiful she is. Her eyes are sharp, and they shine blue like sapphires. I'll say she is above average when it comes to appearance.
She seems to have noticed me, as she turns in my direction; our eyes meet. I quickly look away.
"Yo, Fujishige." Suddenly, a boy approaches my desk. He has short black hair and round eyes. He looks like a friendly type.
"I was wondering, have ya decided on what club to join?" he asks me.
"A club?"
"Yeah, an after-school club is very important in this school, y'know? Every student should at least join one!"
A club, huh? I haven't really thought about that. Asahina also has one.
"What are the clubs that are available in this school?"
"There are loads! We have clubs for each sport if you're the sporty type. There's also other stuff like art club, theater club, cooking club, literature club…" he says while counting all the stuff he mentions with his fingers.
Now, how should I go about this? If I can, I'd rather avoid an after-school activity.
"Is entering a club a must-have requirement?"
"Well, no, but come on! Everyone definitely has a special talent to develop for their future, right? We're in high school now. We should be more prepared!"
"Hmm… That's complicated. I'm not particularly good at anything. I'm a man with no talent."
"Hee?? That sounds kinda sad…" He hangs his arms low while looking at me with pity.
Skrrrrtt.
Suddenly, the girl I saw earlier stands up from her seat, her chair scraping along the ground as she does so.
The sound catches the attention of almost everyone in class, but she doesn't seem to care. While still holding Into the Dark, she walks towards the door, about to exit the room.
"Oi, Koizumi-san, you're pretty smart, aren't ya? Why don't you try helping Fujishi—"
"No thanks, I'm not interested in someone who claimed to have no talent," she answers flatly before exiting the room.
Her cold statement causes the entire class to go silent.
"A-Ahaha…" The boy I was just talking to awkwardly laughs, trying to lighten up the mood. "That's Koizumi-san alright! She always runs her mouth, doesn't she?" he says while scratching his head.
"Ah, you don't have to worry, I'm not taking what she said to heart."
I'm not lying when I say that. Because at the time, there's something else that catches my attention. But I decide to think about it later.
"I-is that so?" After making sure I'm not offended, he folds his arms and mutters to himself, "Damn, how stupid am I? Why did I address her out of all people?? Especially knowing her attitude…!" He grumbles.
"Was she that troublesome?" I ask.
"Of course she was!" He spits, not even trying to hide his disgust.
I don't really feel like gossiping on my first day of school, especially not in a crowded classroom. So I change the topic:
"Speaking of which, is it okay if I ask for your help?"
"Hm? What is it?"
"Would you mind showing me around the school? The school building seems quite big. I might get lost," I say.
"Sure, I don't really have anything better to do right now anyway." He shrugs.
"Can I know your name?"
"I'm Onodera Takumi. Nice to meet you!" he says while shaking my hand.
---
With that, Onodera and I start walking around the school. He shows me various places like the gym, the computer room, the science lab… and just as I expected, this school is very big.
"I feel like one day of orientation might not be enough for me to remember everything…" I mutter.
"Haha! Ya will get used to it eventually. I also ended up getting lost a lot on my first day here!"
Next, Onodera leads me to the back of the school. He points to the soccer field located behind the building.
"Look over there, that is the place where I shine the most!" Onodera says proudly.
"You like to play soccer?"
"You bet I do! I managed to get selected as one of the main players within the first year of school, you hear me!? I've been carrying the team since then!"
"Wow, that indeed is quite an achievement."
"Hehe, everything is possible with a bit of hard work!" he boasts while resting his arms behind his head.
Since he seems to be in a good mood, I decide to ask him about that something that caught my attention earlier.
"That girl from earlier, you called her 'Koizumi,' right? Who is she?"
"Hm? Oh, Koizumi-san? If I have to describe her, she's like the type that people consider 'perfect.' You get what I mean, right? She's beautiful, intelligent, and calm. Though the only things that are off about her are her social skills and her shitty attitude. If she could fix those, she would be more popular."
What a straightforward and honest answer.
"You don't like her very much, huh?"
"Well, I wouldn't say that I hate her or anything. It's just that she is super annoying! Other than that, she's just a nerd. She spends all of her time reading and reading. Even when someone is trying to talk to her, she just ignores them and keeps reading! She refuses to acknowledge anything or anyone other than her book. It's like her mind is super-glued to the book or something!" Onodera continues to ramble.
He's getting carried away, so I decide to say something to derail the conversation a bit. "Do you know anything about her family?"
"Her family? Not really… I heard she lives alone, but I think her father is still alive."
"Hm… I see."
After I finish, Onodera glances at me. "Fujishige-kun, are you still mad at Koizumi-san?"
"Eh? No, I'm not. I told you already, didn't I? I didn't take what she said to heart."
"Then, why do you keep asking questions about her?" He eyes me suspiciously.
"I was just curious, that's all. She seemed… isolated? Like, everyone was having fun together while she sat alone."
"Koizumi-san's always been like that. Not that no one wants to be friends with her or anything, she just seems to prefer being alone."
So she's the introverted type, huh?
"Would you mind continuing our tour?" I ask.
"Not at all."
With that, we make our way back to the school building. We look at a few other rooms before reaching a certain place that I've been waiting to see.
"This is the school library," Onodera says while opening the door to the library.
"Whoa, it's huge!" I shout.
It's like looking at one of those massive libraries from old movies. Bookshelves stretch from one end of the room to the other, with rows and rows of books filling them.
"Yep, the library is very complete as well. If you need any material for studying, you can look for it in this library."
Now that I've made it to the library, I think this will be a perfect opportunity for me to confirm that "something" that caught my attention earlier.
"Onodera-kun, is it okay if I stay here for a while?"
"Eh? Why? Don't you want to see the other parts of the school?"
"To be honest with you, I really like to read. So seeing such a massive library feels like looking at the gates of heaven to me."
"Oh! So you're the type to enjoy reading?" He seems surprised, then starts looking left and right before moving closer to me.
"Um, when I made fun of Koizumi-san for reading all the time, did I offend you by any chance…?" he whispers, seeming apologetic.
"Eh? Of course not. I'm not the type that takes such things personally."
"Really? That's a relief," he sighs.
Onodera seems like the type who speaks bluntly. But in the end, he's not a bad person.
"Well then, see you in class, Onodera-kun."
"Yeah! See you too, Fujishige-kun."
With that, Onodera and I part ways.
---
I walk into the library and immediately go into the mystery section. As I expected, there's a blank spot on the shelf where the copies of the third book of TheBrenna Spector trilogy are kept, meaning that someone has taken it.
Since it's only been around fifteen minutes since she left the class, I figure she probably hasn't left the library yet. So I grab a random book from the shelf and start walking around the library, pretending to look for a seat.
After a while, I spot Koizumi sitting in the corner of the room while reading. The book she's holding is Stay With Me, the third book of The Brenna Spector trilogy.
I then approach her.
"Excuse me, can I sit here?"
Even though I try to talk to her, she does not respond to me. She remains silent while still looking at her book.
I would assume she's too busy reading to hear me. But from the subtle shift on her face, it doesn't seem that way. She definitely heard me but is just not interested enough to reply.
So I decide to just sit down next to her and start reading my own book.
After a while, she suddenly glances at me. "Why did you choose to sit here?" she asks.
"Huh? Was I not allowed to?"
"Not that. There are many other empty seats here. Why did you specifically choose to sit next to me?"
"I think I just happened to choose to sit here? I don't really have a particular reason."
"That's not true," she retorts.
"What do you mean?"
"You've been targeting this seat to begin with. No, more accurately, you've been looking to sit next to me to begin with. Am I wrong?"
This girl is terrifyingly sharp.
"May I ask what makes you think that?"
"Your attitude says it all," she answers. "From the moment I saw you, you seemed to be looking around as if you were searching for something. Once you saw me, your expression changed, as if you were saying, 'Oh, there she is,' before approaching me."
"Y-you noticed all those details!? Even though, from my perspective, you seemed focused on reading the entire time? Or perhaps, did my actions really catch that much attention?"
"That's not it. I always make sure to keep track of my surroundings."
"I'm not convinced. You sound like you already know that I'm coming to look for you," I state.
There's no reason for her to be paying that much attention to me. This library is crowded. There are many students wandering about. Even if she does have the ability to notice people in her surroundings, there's no way she can focus on me alone when there are this many people around.
But if she already suspected that I might show up, then it would be a different story.
She seems to understand what I'm getting at. She lowers her book and looks at me.
"Earlier in class…" she begins.
"Huh?"
"Earlier in class, you looked at me. Why is that?"
She suddenly brings up what happened in class earlier.
"You caught my attention, that's all," I reply.
"You noticed the book I was reading, right?" she asks.
"Eh?"
"You also noticed that I was on the last page of the book. That's how you know that I will be heading to the library to borrow the next volume."
Ahh, so that's why she immediately paid attention to me when I showed up? Because she's been suspicious of me ever since she realized that I'd been paying attention to the book she was reading?
"What does that have to do with anything? I could be paying attention to your book only because I'm interested in it," I say.
"It's the fact that you suddenly appeared in this library that makes me realize that something is off. There's no way I'd know beforehand that you would suddenly show up here based on that alone."
"Why would I immediately assume that the book you read would be something you borrowed from the library? It could be a book you brought from home," I say.
"Earlier, I put my borrowing receipt on the table. It's not that hard to spot. If you'd paid attention to the book, you must have noticed the receipt as well."
It appears this girl is a lot more observant than I thought.
"So is it true that you've been looking for me since I left the class earlier?" she asks.
"Yeah, you're correct," I admit.
I don't expect her to figure it out this quickly. I even went through the trouble of using Onodera so that my arrival at the library would seem coincidental. Yet, Koizumi saw through all of it. I underestimated her observational skills.
"Well then, may I ask why?" she says.
"Why what?"
"Why did you go so far as to do all of that? What's so interesting about me that you went out of your way searching for me like this? Or perhaps, my words in class earlier had really offended you that much?"
"Ah, no, it has nothing to do with what you said in class earlier."
"Then what is it?"
"Before we continue, mind telling me what your full name is?"
"Huh?" She appears puzzled by my sudden question.
"What? Is wanting to know the full name of my classmate the wrong thing to do?"
"Does knowing my full name have anything to do with the reason why you're so interested in me?"
"Actually, yes."
She pauses, then lets out a sigh.
"Ririsu."
"Eh?"
"My name is Koizumi Ririsu," she answers me.
"Ahhh~!!" I shout.
"H-huh? What's with that reaction?" She backs away.
"So you're really her!"
"Her who?"
I take out my phone and then show her something on my screen.
"This is you, isn't it?" I say.
"…?" She leans closer. "Ah..!"
What I have on my phone is a free online mystery story I found a few months ago titled The Hanging Puppet. A story that I was extremely hooked on. It's written here that the writer of this story is "Koizumi Ririsu."
"This is the first time I've ever met someone who read my story…" she answers with a surprised look.
"I memorize the name of the author of every story I read. Earlier in class, Onodera called you 'Koizumi-san.' I was betting on whether you're actually her or not, which is why I decided to go looking for you."
"So that's why you asked for my full name? Why didn't you ask Onodera-kun or someone from our class what my full name is?"
"That won't do. If I'm going to meet the author of one of my favorite stories, I just have to ask her myself," I say.
She lets out a small sigh before speaking. "Now that you've found me, what is it that you want?" Her gaze slowly returns to her book, indicating that this conversation is no longer interesting to her.
I decide to ignore her behavior and keep talking. "I guess I'll start by asking you when the next chapter will come out? I've been waiting for a while now."
"Huh? Oh, that. I'm not going to continue it."
My mouth immediately hangs wide open.
"You're not going to continue it?!"
"Yeah, that's my decision."
"But why…? It's just starting to get popular."
"I'm not writing it for popularity. I was simply bored during the holidays and was looking for something to do to kill time. Now that school is starting again, I will be focused on studying," she says without even looking in my direction.
No, no, no, no, no, no. I was filled with excitement after finding out that I'd met the person who wrote my favorite story. But that is now completely crushed. If she doesn't finish the story, I might end up rolling around on my futon every night wondering who might be the actual culprit of the story!
"…. Wha—What's with that look…?" she asks after noticing my watery-puppy-eyes.
"What do you mean by that? I just found out that my favorite story will not have a continuation. How do you think I would react?"
"Do you really like the story that much…?"
"Well, of course I do! Why else would I go so far as to go through all that trouble making my way to this library just to look for you!?"
She looks at me for a short while before continuing to speak, "There's actually another reason why I don't want to continue it: I'm running out of ideas."
"Running out of ideas?"
"I wrote that story for fun, so I never really thought about what the climax would be like. After finishing the recent chapters, I found myself stuck without knowing how to end it."
She manages to create such a good story without putting any effort into it? Then how good would the story be if she actually tried?
"I'm surprised that you ran out of ideas. I feel like everything you needed for the climax was already presented to you in the previous chapters. You just have to piece them together."
"Is that so? Well then, do enlighten me."
And just like that, I stand up, put myself in a dramatic pose, and launch into a crazy story I make up on the spot.
I don't really care about making sense. I just want to give Koizumi the motivation to continue what she was doing. I figured if I created a perfect climax for the end of the chapter, she might say something like, "Well then, why don't you write it instead?" I don't want that. I want to read something she made.
"And then he points his finger at the old man and says, 'You are the culprit!'" I say while pointing my finger.
"That's such a lame conclusion to the story, Fujishige-kun…" She sighs.
And so, we've come full circle to the beginning of this chapter. You now know what led to this conversation to begin with. We continue to blabber about her story before she eventually agrees to continue it.
"Just to clarify, you didn't continue the story because I forced you, right?" I ask.
"Well, you gave me an idea with the made-up story you told me earlier. And if I actually didn't want to do it, I wouldn't do it no matter what you told me. In other words, what I'm doing right now is by my own will."
"That's good then…"
That's a relief. To make sure I don't spoil the story for myself, I start looking in a different direction when she starts outlining it on a piece of paper.
Just then, another thought comes to my mind.
"Ah, that reminds me. I have one more question," I say.
"What's that?"
"The murder method you use in your story… It feels somewhat similar to Red Rose's murder method."
"So you know about Red Rose as well, huh?"
"They are very infamous. It's inevitable for someone like me who enjoys murder mysteries to know about them."
I then continue, "But Koizumi-san, by any chance, have you been following or maybe even studying the Red Rose cases?"
"What do you mean?"
"I'm not that knowledgeable about Red Rose myself, but I do follow their cases in the newspaper and on TV sometimes. There have been multiple instances where your story mirrors some past unsolved Red Rose cases. Except those cases are solved in your story."
In other words, Koizumi is indirectly solving cases that aren't even solved yet through her story.
"It's not like I'm a genius who can solve murder cases or anything. Since I only read about them through what's available to the public, I just come up with theories that sound logical for the situation and write them down as stories. There's no real evidence that my theories are even correct."
"That's true, but I still find that aspect of your writing to be quite fascinating."
I then continue, "That reminds me, you have the exact same surname as him."
"Him…?" Koizumi looks at me with a suspicious look. It seems that she knows exactly who I'm referring to.
"Koizumi Akira. By any chance, are you related to him?"
She takes a short pause. While still looking at the paper she's writing on, she answers in a calm voice:
"He's my father."
"Whoa! So you really are related to him. I guess that explains why you can solve those cases, huh?"
Koizumi Akira was the detective who managed to prove the existence of Red Rose. If it wasn't for him, none of us would even know that Red Rose actually existed. Being his daughter must've meant that his intelligence was passed down.
"Just because he's my father doesn't automatically mean I'm anything special," she says.
"Hm… Is that so?" She is unexpectedly very humble.
Suddenly, Koizumi's phone vibrates, indicating that she has received a message. She picks up her phone and looks at it.
"I have to go now. I'll finish the story and post it soon. So don't worry," she says while standing up from her seat.
"I see… Well then, see you later, Koizumi-san."
With that, Koizumi leaves the library.
I stay for a while to read a few books that catch my interest before getting up and leaving as well.
And just like that, my troubled school life has just begun.