Late December; the smoke of the final exams had barely cleared when the scent of winter break rushed in to blanket the campus.
For most students, it was a rare stretch of time to relax.
In a corner of the Library's second floor, Natsukawa Sosuke and Shiina Hiyori sat opposite each other.
Today, however, Hiyori was not lost in one of those hard-core mysteries bristling with locked-room tricks; what she held was a pink-sakura-covered light-noven whodunit.
The sudden change of genre made Sosuke glance twice.
Clack.
Hiyori closed the book with a soft, almost inaudible sigh.
"Natsukawa-kun."
"Mm?" He looked up from a volume on game theory.
"The things the book says… about love and dates—are they really like that?"
She tilted her head, fingers stroking the cover, curiosity spilling from every word.
"That 'one look and your heart races out of control,' or 'for the other person you'd take on the whole world'… Do those feelings actually exist? Or are they just… devices to keep the plot moving?"
To a girl who had spent years inside books, "love" was perhaps even harder to grasp than a locked-room murder.
Sosuke studied her earnest face and chuckled.
"Well…" He leaned back in his chair and gave the most down-to-earth answer imaginable. "Most of it is artistic license."
"So-called racing hearts are usually the result of the suspension-bridge effect or an adrenaline surplus. As for taking on the world—most of the time the protagonist's halo is so bright they never have to worry about groceries or rent."
He spread his hands, tone flat.
"Real-world love is far more trivial and boring. However grand the vows, they all end up as 'whose turn to do the dishes' or 'who sweeps this week'—problems thick with the smell of cooking oil."
"…Natsukawa-kun."
Hiyori stared at him for a moment, then puffed her cheeks in a cute, slightly miffed pout.
"You sound like an old man who's lost all enthusiasm for life."
"Logic matters, but shouldn't we keep at least a little romantic fantasy? After all… we're still students."
"Heh, maybe."
She lowered her eyes to the book, thinking. A moment later they lit up.
"Since theory is divided, we need an experiment."
She leaned forward, expectant.
"Natsukawa-kun, Christmas is the day after tomorrow."
"I'm not religious, but the books say the atmosphere is special—perfect for testing the 'heart-race' hypothesis."
"So…"
A faint blush colored her cheeks, yet her gaze was perfectly open.
"Would you come with me to the Keyaki Shopping Center for a field investigation?"
"I want to find out what this 'date' thing really feels like—whether it actually makes one's heart beat faster, just like the stories say."
Sosuke blinked.
A date? Christmas?
In his capital-scrubbed memory those words were usually followed by a receipt. In his former single-dog life the day had meant overtime or gaming.
But looking into those purely curious eyes, he couldn't refuse.
Probably just window-shopping and chatting—no different from the Library.
"Sure."
He agreed readily.
"Since the detective requests it, her assistant can hardly say no."
"Great!"
Hiyori beamed.
"Then the date is set for Christmas morning. I'm looking forward to it, Natsukawa-kun."
…Night had fallen, Room 403.
After a day's work, Master Natsukawa showered, drank a glass of warm milk, did twenty minutes of stretching, then lay comfortably in bed with a manga, planning to sleep the moment he felt drowsy and leave no fatigue for tomorrow.
Just then—
Bzzzt—
His personal terminal vibrated on the nightstand.
He glanced over.
Sender: Ichinose Honami.
[Sorry to message so late, Natsukawa-kun. Are you free for a call? I'd like to talk.]
He raised an eyebrow.
At this hour he would have expected Kushida or Karuizawa, but Ichinose?
He replied [No problem], sat up, and her call came through at once.
"Good evening, Natsukawa-kun."
Her familiar voice carried its usual warmth and energy; even across the line he could picture the smile on her face.
"Good evening, Ichinose." He closed the manga. "Calling this late—something up?"
"Mm, sort of."
She sounded relaxed.
"First, congratulations to your Class D—well, Class C now. Crushing the Paper Shuffle was amazing!"
"Now the gap between us has shrunk again."
"Just luck," he said politely. "But you guys lost to Class A. Will you be okay?"
"Oh, being comforted?" She laughed softly. "It is a shame we gave up a hundred points to A. Still, everyone's bounced back—after all, it's that Class A; losing isn't embarrassing."
She paused, tone turning a touch serious.
"Natsukawa-kun, about our class alliance…"
"It stays," he cut in, definite. "Class D may have moved up, but its footing isn't solid, and I doubt Horikita and Hirata want to hunt for new allies. If you don't mind, the deal remains."
"Really? Wonderful!"
Ichinose exhaled in relief.
"I worried that once you reached C you'd treat us as rivals too. With your word I can relax; I'll pass it on to Kanzaki and the others."
"Mm, I'll tell Horikita."
Official business done.
Normally the call would end here.
Yet the line stayed open, sinking into an odd silence.
Only her quickened breathing reached him.
"Um…"
After a long moment her voice returned, now hesitant, nothing like the brisk tone she'd used for class matters.
"There's… one more thing—personal."
"Mm? Go ahead."
"It's…"
Ichinose Honami sat on her dorm bed, clutching the quilt, cheeks hot.
Thinking of recent class life gave her a headache.
The chain of special exams—Sports Festival, Paper Shuffle—had kept her so busy she and her "boyfriend" Natsukawa had barely interacted outside the occasional exchange of intel.
That distance had produced two reactions inside Class B.
....
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