Hara Kei held the book up for the two girls to see. On the cover, a man in a brown trench coat, wearing a gentleman's hat and holding a pipe, was depicted.
"This gentleman is named Sherlock Holmes," Hara Kei explained. "He's a fictional character created by Arthur Conan Doyle, and he's widely regarded as the most famous and accomplished detective in literary history."
"This Complete Sherlock Holmes collection contains all sixty stories, from the earliest A Study in Scarlet to the last one, The Retired Colourman. They're all packed into this hefty volume," he continued, running a careful hand over the book's cover. "And in nearly all of these sixty cases, there's one common factor. That is—"
"Death occurs."
Hara Kei lifted his gaze from the book and looked at the two girls. "It's only natural. A detective's duty is to catch the criminal. And what crime could be graver than taking someone else's life?"
"This is something everyone understands. It's precisely because human life is so precious that authors painstakingly craft countless murder cases."
"The strange motives that trigger the events, the unimaginable schemes, the clever tricks to evade the law, the madness that defies reason… only by including such bizarre and intricate elements can a murder case be considered truly excellent."
"Yet precisely for that reason, murder cases are fundamentally removed from everyday life. When a novel contains a murder case, it steps unmistakably into the realm of the extraordinary."
Hara Kei set the book down and continued: "And the 'Murder [of the Murder Case] Casebook', as the name implies, is a collection of stories that happen after the murder case is resolved—or, put simply, it's a collection of daily life stories."
"That's why I chose this title."
With that, Hara Kei wore an expression of satisfied accomplishment and returned to reading his book.
"…" Fujiwara Chika and Yukinoshita Yukino were momentarily speechless. They exchanged a glance before Yukino quietly asked, "So… Hara Kei, do you really enjoy reading detective novels that much?"
"Of course. Why wouldn't I?" Hara Kei said, clearly unconcerned with hiding his interest.
"No, no, that's perfectly fine," Yukino shook her head. She turned the notebook in her hands to the cover page, took a deep breath, and carefully wrote the slightly intimidating title Murder [of the Murder Case] Casebook in neat strokes.
A small smile tugged at her lips. Despite the title sounding so grim—keeping people at a distance—the meaning behind it was surprisingly simple and gentle.
Just like a certain someone.
Tokyo is the undisputed center of the Sakurajima region, the robust heart of this narrow island nation.
Politics, economy, culture, diplomacy… Tokyo is like a greedy, gluttonous beast, mercilessly drawing nutrients from every source, growing larger and more unwieldy with each passing year.
Hara Kei had no intention of critiquing—or praising—this phenomenon. He had neither the time nor the inclination for such abstract considerations.
At that moment, his mind was focused on only one thing—
Why was this sushi restaurant so difficult to find?
He glanced at the map app on his phone, then looked up at the surrounding buildings and street signs. He checked the phone again, then looked around…
Who could explain why the scene in front of me looked nothing like what the map app shows?
Hara Kei wasn't bad with directions. His memory and sense of orientation were excellent, and he was adept at using map apps. Yet he had underestimated the complexity of Tokyo's streets and overestimated the reliability of his phone network.
Frustrated, he slipped his phone into his pocket and debated whether to retrace his steps or search nearby.
This search was part of his new post-school project: gourmet exploration.
His cooking skill meter had been nearly filled with experience points. He needed only a little more to reach Lv. 3, which, based on past experience, marked a significant milestone. Reaching Lv. 3 meant he was essentially at the pinnacle—the "golden tier" of domestic culinary mastery.
And cooking was directly tied to his daily happiness.
Thus, his goal in recent weeks had been to level up his cooking skill. In addition to reading culinary books and taking online courses, he ventured out after school to sample Tokyo's diverse foods recommended by various food bloggers. It was a perfect mix of pleasure and experience gain.
Today, however, his culinary quest hit a wall.
Yet he wasn't ready to give up and head home. According to descriptions from the bloggers, the restaurant should be nearby. A little more searching in the area would surely turn it up.
Hara Kei walked, scanning shop signs and recalling the online directions. Around a corner, he stumbled upon a noisy crowd gathered outside a particularly flashy model shop. People cheered as if encouraging someone, some even clapping.
Hara Kei immediately guessed what was happening—a transformation contest hosted by the store manager.
Kamen Rider and Ultraman are pillars of Sakurajima's tokusatsu culture. Their merchandising alone sustains half the local toy industry. Stores selling these models are ubiquitous in Tokyo, and to attract customers, some hold periodic contests where participants mimic the iconic transformations from the shows. Winners are usually rewarded with rare toys.
Nothing unusual here. Hara Kei planned to quietly bypass the commotion.
Then, a clear, crisp female voice rang out from the center of the crowd—
"Sa! Let's start the experiment!"
The voice was bright and commanding, brimming with energy. Hara Kei froze. He turned to look at the gathering—was it possible? No… surely not.
At that moment, the crowd parted slightly, revealing a performer. Pale skin, sapphire-blue eyes, and long, soft blonde hair…
It was Hayasaka Ai, disguised as "Ha—something" (Hara Kei hadn't caught her full introduction). She mimed gripping a bottle, about to insert it into her imaginary belt, when she noticed Hara Kei watching through the gap in the crowd.
Their eyes met.
Time seemed to stop.
..
Want to unlock up to 40+ early-access chapters and exclusive novels? Join my Patreon today and dive deeper into the adventure!
patreon.com/denji21