Kirinomiya-senpai Cannot Solve The Mystery - Chapter 1
Chapter １
Like any normal day, I walked through the station gates and down the street to school, feeling depressed as my breath turned white.
The gingko trees on the street had lost their leaves in order to withstand the cold, and their lonely branches were stretched out toward the sky. {TN: Maidenhair tree, oldest species of trees in the world}
I hate winter.
No matter how scorching hot it gets, I would still have more energy to act in summer. In the winter, I just want to stay inside and not move at all.
My school, Tsurugamine High School, is a building with a long history. It sounds good, but it’s really old. The new school building, which was rebuilt about a year ago, is white and shiny, but the old one has yellowed walls and makes a creaking sound when you walk down the hallway, which is quite thrilling. If you walk on an awkward spot, you’ll fall through the floor into a pit. The school has a quaint atmosphere, with humidity in the summer and breezes blowing through in the winter.
In front of the school gate, the school discipline committee members lined up in a row and greeted us cheerfully. Thinking that it was probably a tough job, I returned the greeting in a muffled voice and walked through the school.
As I headed towards the entrance to change my shoes into my jacket, I saw a large number of people gathered in a semi-circle around someone in the center of the room.
Intuitively, I thought, “Ah, she’s here.”
I had an unpleasant premonition, but I had no choice but to reluctantly go through the front door and stop by the shoebox.
The person in the center of the crowd, as I expected, or rather, unfortunately, was her.
She has a noble, serene, and tranquil air about her, and she always looks so dignified. Maybe because her skin was white, or maybe it was because she had a special aura, but the place where she was standing seemed to glow. She looked so beautiful that it seemed out of place for her to be there, but her long jet-black hair gave me an ominous feeling.
Anyway, just being there made her stand out, for better or worse.
The person, known as Kirinomiya Saika.
In addition to her good looks, she is also the first heir to the Kirinomiya Conglomerate, one of the four major conglomerates in Japan. In general, the eldest son usually takes over the family, but I guess there are circumstances there that an ordinary person like me can’t know about.
She is one grade ahead of me. I’m in the first grade, so she’s in the second, which means she’s my senior.
Kirinomiya-senpai’s long hair fluttered in front of the crowd, attracting even more attention from the spectators, as if it weren’t already enough. Then she declared in a bright, cheerful voice.
[Looks like it’s my turn.]
She’s full of confidence as usual.
[The mystery that has been wandering in the depths of darkness, I, Kirinomiya Saika, will reveal it to you in the light of day.]
The people around me staggered in anticipation as she said the words that made me want to poke fun at whoever’s signature phrase it was.
Despite being somewhat pitiful, Kirinomiya-senpai was perfect, at least in terms of her visuals. She exuded the air of a great detective, as if she was in a mystery novel or drama.
The people around me were probably expecting to see Kirinomiya-senpai’s brilliant deduction show unfold.
When I met her for the first time, I was also excited that someone amazing had appeared.
If there is only one thing that differentiates her from the many other great detectives who have had brilliant careers, it would be this.
She can’t solve the mystery.
□
It seems that there was definitely some sort of incident that had happened in the vicinity of this entrance.
That’s great, Kirinomiya-senpai, don’t lose, Kirinomiya-senpai. I’ll be watching over your activities from the shadows. Sending a shout of encouragement in my heart, I stealthily walked out.
I want to live as peacefully as possible.
I don’t want to be involved in any incidents, I don’t want to be the center of attention, and if anything, I want to stay in the corner and be unnoticed.
But Kirinomiya-senpai’s sharp eyes did not miss it.
Just as I thought she was running up to me with her proudly agile legs, her long black stocking-clad legs already stood in front of me, blocking my path. Her skirt, which was longer than that of the average student, spread softly.
[Yo, it’s shounen. You, come here for a moment.] {TN: shounen=young man, left as it is cuz fits better that way ngl}
When she showed up with a sweet smile, I couldn’t resist. Or rather, resistance would just be more troublesome.
I reluctantly walked behind her, uttering a protest that I knew was pointless.
[How did you know I was there? And I’m not shounen.]
[It’s a great mistake to think you can get away from me, shounen.]
I pushed my way out through the crowd and reached the front door.
I had no choice but to accept my fate. It would be faster to find a solution to the problem than to run away from it.
[So, what happened?]
This girl who likes seeking out trouble, stands out too much.
There is no smoke without fire but she is the type of person to throw down a torch at the fuel to burn it.
I took a quick glance around the surroundings and found that the glass door of the entrance was broken.
Near the broken glass door, on the steps in front of the entrance, sat there was a well-built male student.
When I asked him what had happened, a female student nearby explained the situation to me.
[Well, the moment Sugiura-kun touched the door, the glass of the door suddenly shattered and flew apart! That being said, good morning, Kusakabe-kun.]
When I looked closer, I saw that the female student who spoke to me was Aizumi-san, who was in the same class and sitting next to me.
Aizumi-san is a cheerful girl who likes doing things at her own pace. We’re not particularly close, but since we sit next to each other, we occasionally make small talk.
[Good morning, Aizumi-san. Did the glass suddenly break?]
She said agitatedly as her pigtail swayed like two tails.
[Well, I didn’t hit it or push it hard. I just opened it and the glass flew out. So I was surprised, and then this person came over…]
After saying that, Aizumi-san stared at Kirinomiya-senpai in a reserved manner.
Kirinomiya-senpai is accustomed to being the center of attention. This time, too, for some reason, she was brimming with confidence and had a triumphant look on her face.
Anyway, let’s confirm the situation again.
The glass door of the entrance in the old school building is divided into two halves by an aluminum frame, top and bottom.
As Aizumi-san explained, the glass on the top of the aluminum frame had indeed been shattered.
A male student sitting nearby was holding his forehead with a handkerchief, probably because of the flying debris. He was probably Sugiura-kun. We are in different classes, but I know that he is the ace of the baseball team. I’m not good at ball games in general, so I respect people who are good at sports for that reason alone.
[Did you get hurt?]
I asked him, and he gave a small shake of his head.
[It’s just a little cut on my forehead. It’s not a serious injury.]
Incidentally, there was an old-fashioned gas stove in front of the entrance. The people around me were happily holding their hands together. Maybe they didn’t really care about the incident and just wanted to get warm. [TN: heater]
[This sort of stove, was it here before?]
I asked, to which Aizumi-san answered cheerfully.
[I think the janitor just put it here today. It’s cold today, so it’s understandable that they wanted to turn on the stove.]
As I took a few steps towards Sugiura-kun, I found a tennis ball on the floor under my feet.
This ball…
When Kirinomiya-senpai noticed my gaze, she plastered a fearless smile on her face and picked up the tennis ball that had fallen.
[As I thought, you noticed it too.]
[What do you mean?]
She made a face that said she was going to show off her great deductions.
[It can’t be helped, everyone already figured it out. This ball is the key evidence that points to the culprit!]
Her words drew everyone’s attention.
[I know who the culprit is!]
When Kirinomiya-senpai shouted this, the cheers of the people around her increased.
[According to my deductions, the culprit… is someone from the tennis club!]
‘Oooo’, mixed in with the cheers, were a few question marks.
I couldn’t help but be impressed by her confidence in saying this.
Amazing isn’t it, how she can declare so openly something that a hundred people in the room could think of. Moreover, she’s incorrect.
Sure enough, on the court a little west of the entrance, the tennis club seems to be having their morning practice. It is not unusual for balls to roll towards us, and there are some tennis balls lying in the parking lot in front of the entrance.
However, there’s a parking lot for teachers between the entrance and the tennis courts.
It would be impossible for these balls to fly here with enough power to break the glass, due to the distance.
If you think about it, Kirinomiya-senpai probably doesn’t have many mistakes pointed out to her by others.
Maybe it’s her rare good looks, maybe it’s her calm demeanor unsuitable for her age, or maybe it’s her slightly husky voice that makes me listen to her attentively. In any case, what Kirinomiya-senpai says sounds convincing for some reason.
No matter how absolutely wrong or how illogical and impossible it is, when this person says it, everyone is convinced on the spot and keeps their mouth shut. If Kirinomiya-senpai says it out loud, it has a strange power that makes you think that it might be true.
This was one of the factors that made her feel like a detective.
This time, too, the people around me were in a delicate mood, so I had no choice but to make a crack about it.
[So, who is this tennis club member you’re talking about?]
[That’s what I’m going to deduce from now, to determine the culprit.]
You’re just trying to make me guess, aren’t you.
I couldn’t help but scratch my head.
[If it really was a tennis club member, I think it would be hard to tell if so many people were gathered.]
[What, if we just tie them up one by one with rope and torture them, they’ll give themselves away immediately.]
[Why should someone be tortured for breaking the glass in the school? A proper apology is all that is needed. And I’m sorry, but I don’t think the culprit is from the tennis club.]
When I told her that, Kirinomiya-senpai blatantly lashed out at me.
[But why!?]
[Because, the ball dropped down from outside. Normally… if the ball flew from the court where the tennis club was practicing to the entrance and broke the glass, the ball would’ve fallen on the inside of the door, on the side of the shoe box.]
When I said this, Aizumi-san stared at the broken glass in admiration.
[Now that you mention it, there aren’t any shards of glass on the inside of the front door]
[That’s right. That means this ball was just dropped nearby and has nothing to do with this incident.]
Kirinomiya-senpai, who seemed to be dissatisfied, clenched her teeth and refuted me.
[It was… probably a trick using tegus or something to move the ball out of the door!]{TN: silkworm/nylon string]
[Why would anyone need to use such a complicated trick to break the glass in the school!]
Aizumi-san curiously twisted her head in confusion.
[This means that since there are shards falling outside the front door, it means that the culprit broke the glass from inside the front door towards the outside, right? No, no, the glass broke suddenly in the first place, so no one saw the culprit, and then… huh?]
Kirinomiya-senpai, who seemed to be unable to give up playing detective, suddenly shouted.
[I got it!]
[What did you get?]
I knew very well that it was no big deal anyway.
She twirled her long skirt and stepped with her slender black stocking-clad legs.
Then, with a confident look, she pointed at me.
[It was a bluff to break the glass! The purpose was not to break the glass, but to frame the target as the glass breaker… So the real target is you, the baseball boy!]
It was Sugiura-kun, a member of the baseball club, who was holding his forehead with a handkerchief. Like a bolt from the blue, his mouth fell open in dismay, and he wavered with a dumb expression.
[Eh, me!?]
Kirinomiya-senpai closed in on Sugiura-kun.
[That’s right, you. Does someone have a grudge on you? No, there’s definitely something.]
Sugiura-kun has a hard-looking impression, but when Kirinomiya-senpai approaches him, his face turns a little red.
[A grudge? No, I don’t think it’s something like that…]
No doubt about it. Ordinary people, whether they have any idea about it or not, would be at a loss for an answer if they were suddenly asked if they had anyone who held a grudge against them.
But Kirinomiya-senpai seemed to want to link the broken glass door to the incident.
She grabbed Sugiura’s shoulders with both hands and shook him so violently that he almost lost his head.
[Remember well! What may seem trivial to you may be deeply resentful to them!]
When he heard the word “trivial”, he started to think of a few things.
[Something trivial…Ah! Now that you mention it, I borrowed 500 yen from Yoshida in my class and haven’t returned it yet. After club activities, I couldn’t bear my hunger and bought a lunchbox, that’s when I borrowed the money.]
The moment he answered, “Fuhahaha” Kirinomiya-senpai let out an eerie laugh that sounded like it was coming from the depths of hell. The people around us shook their shoulders with a ‘Bikun’ sound in fear and trepidation.
Kirinomiya-senpai said, her beautiful hair fluttering like a person in a shampoo commercial.
[Now the truth is clear. The culprit is Yoshida!]
It would be more trouble than it was worth if I dragged it out for any longer, and I felt sorry for Yoshida-kun, who had nothing to do with it, so I decided to get it over with. Morning time is precious. If I dawdled here, class would have to start.
[In conclusion, there is no culprit.]
Kirinomiya-senpai was frustrated as she stomped her feet.
[There is no culprit!? There’s no way that’s the case! There’s no way that the glass could magically break on its own without anyone doing anything!]
I shrugged my shoulders.
[That’s how it is. Especially on a cold winter morning like this.]
[Let’s hear what you think, shounen.]
[I’m not shounen. W-well, it’s called thermal cracking.]
[Thermal cracking?]
[You know when you pour boiling water into a glass cup that’s been kept cold in the freezer and it suddenly cracks and breaks? It’s the same principle.]
I pointed to the nearby stove.
[The temperature was even lower today, and with the stove nearby, the aluminum of the frame absorbed the heat, creating a sudden temperature difference between the glass and the stove. Then, the glass cracked and was prone to breakage, and Sugiura-kun touched it. The truth is that the small impact caused the glass to break.]
[Huh, so it’s my fault after all…]
I shook my head at the upset Sugiura-kun and showed him the remains of the glass still on the door. There were several small cracks in it.
[No, with the way this crack was going, sooner or later it was going to happen by today. So it’s not anyone’s fault. The old school is in shambles. It looks like they used the old thin glass, and I’ll report it to the teacher in case it breaks again.]
The truth was safely revealed, and the gathered students were sucked into the school in droves.
The only ones left behind were me and Kirinomiya-senpai.
She glared at me with a pouting expression.
[How boring.]
[Even if you say that to me…]
[A case without a culprit is boring! Next time, prepare a tougher case.]
With that, Kirinomiya-senpai turned away and left.
It doesn’t matter how difficult or easy the case is, you can’t solve it anyway.
Really, she’s as selfish as usual.
□
When I arrived at the classroom, I was greeted by a smiling Aizumi-san.
[Yo, Great Detective.]
I shrugged my shoulders and replied in a surrendered voice.
[Stop it, it’s not a big deal.]
Aizumi-san was biting into a piece of chocolate from her bag, even though she had just arrived at school, as if she was hungry. Aizumi-san is a hearty eater, despite her appearance.
[It’s true that hearing the principle is rather disconcerting, but it’s amazing that you noticed it right away, Kusakabe. This has happened to you several times before, hasn’t it?]
[It’s just a coincidence.]
[Is that so~]
It’s true that there are times when little uproars occur at school. I don’t usually speak up for myself, but I do give advice when asked. There have been a few times when I’ve been able to resolve disputes, but I’m not much of a detective.
I put my bag away on my desk and replied to her.
[I like to read a lot of mystery novels, so I tend to notice little things like that. U-um, the trick was the same as a book.]
Aizumi-san then began to rummage around the desk in a delighted manner.
[A mystery novel! I don’t usually read books either, but I’ve been reading mysteries lately.].
[Really!?]
When she said that, my mood suddenly lightened up.
Since there are not many people around me who like mystery novels, I am unconditionally happy when I meet someone who likes mysteries. I’ve read through all the great works of the great writers of the past, as well as the recently released books by new authors. From the classics to light novels, I like them all equally as long as there is an element of mystery. In that sense, I can’t help but understand the feelings of Kirinomiya-senpai, who loves cases. But she’s got a lot of problems with that, because she’s always looking for incidents in reality.
I wonder what kind of book Aizumi-san is reading.
As I was getting excited, she pulled out a book from her desk.
[I bought a novel to read on my way to school, and I found it interesting. I heard it’s been popular lately. Have you read it, Kusakabe-kun?]
Saying that, Aizumi-san took out a hardcover mystery novel.
The book has a light blue cover with a design of ripples on it, giving it a cool atmosphere. The obi confidently says in bold letters, “This year’s number one bestseller will be made into a movie.” {TN: Obi is basically a cover around the book with the book’s information on it}
But as soon as I saw the name of the author of the novel, I frowned.
Izayoi Taizen.
He is certainly a popular author. If you look at the sales of mystery novels over the past few years, you will see that the majority of the rankings are dominated by books written by Izayoi Taizen, and the general public seems to think that you can’t go wrong by buying his books. Many of his works have been made into movies, dramas, and comic books, so there is a very high probability that young people who are interested in him through other media will buy his books.
However, I absolutely refuse to read any of his books.
[I’m sorry, but I don’t like Izayoi Taizen, so I haven’t read his books.]
When I sharply stated that, Aizumi-san tilted her head in disappointment.
[Is that so~ What a shame. Well then, if Kusakabe-kun has any recommendations, please let me know!]
Aizumi-san said amiably and left her desk to go to her friends.
I’ve done it, haven’t I. I made Aizumi-san feel uncomfortable by saying stuff like that.
Although Aizumi seemed as happy as ever as she talked with her friends, I was filled with a sense of regret.
Falling into self-loathing, she glared at the book that was still on her desk.
It’s all your fault.
□
[Shounen, do you have any prior arrangements today?]
The day’s classes were over, and as I was getting ready to go home after school, someone happily asked me that question as she entered the classroom. It was Kirinomiya-senpai, of course.
The class was buzzing with excitement at the appearance of a student from a higher grade than theirs, and a famous person. Kirinomiya-senpai is so beautiful if she doesn’t say anything, and her family is so famous, it’s rare to find a student at this school who doesn’t know of her existence.
On top of that, Kirinomiya-senpai rarely talks to people. It seems that when she is in her own classroom, Kirinomiya-senpai doesn’t even engage in the minimum necessary conversation.
She is not the type to show off her affection and charm, and her unapproachable atmosphere makes her stand out, but she doesn’t seem to mind.
When I asked her about it before, she said “People around me aren’t very interesting.”
In the end, Kirinomiya-senpai is only interested in the “case” and the “characters related to the case.”
I’m easy to use as an assistant, so before I knew it, I was forcibly taken along with Kirinomiya-senpai when she was trying to deduce the case.
Students who don’t know what’s going on would probably wonder why an ordinary person like me often works with her. I wondered the same thing.
Anyway, not wanting to attract too much attention, I hurriedly escorted her out of the classroom.
As I walked out into the hallway, I could still feel the students in the classroom listening to our conversation.
Even the students walking down the corridor turned several times to glance at Kirinomiya-senpai with a curious look on their faces.
[Kirinomiya-senpai, what’s wrong with you all of a sudden?]
When I asked her that, she pouted.
[Don’t answer a question with a question. I’m asking you about your schedule.]
[I don’t really have any plans for today.]
When I replied, her eyes instantly sparkled.
{If that’s the case, let’s go solve a murder!]
When she said that happily, I quickly walked down the hallway.
[I’m sorry, I just remembered that I have some urgent business to attend to.]
[Didn’t you just say there was nothing!]
I wondered where the strength was in her slender arms as she dragged me down the hallway.
[Because you’re going to drag me into troublesome matters again!]
But even saying all that, the end was already decided when she came here.
After a few minutes of helpless resistance, I had become Kirinomiya-senpai’s companion.
I wrapped a muffler around my neck and rubbed my gloved hands together.
My breath was completely white. I wonder why it is so cold in winter. If I had to have a wish of mine come true, I want to be born in Hawaii in my next life.
She was going in the opposite direction of her route to school. Goodbye, my house.
I was supposed to go home and read the novel I just bought this morning in a heated room, but I don’t know how it turned out like this. The new book I was looking forward to was heavy for a paperback, making my heavy steps even heavier.
In contrast, Kirinomiya-senpai’s steps were light. It’s as if she was skipping.
[So, where are you going?]
When I asked her that, she looked at me with her narrow eyes and smiled.
[Eirin Academy.]
[And what’s going to happen there?]
She declared confidently.
[Ah, sooner or later.]
Her eyes were looking somewhere in the distance. It was as if she was scooping up something invisible. Actually, she must be seeing something that I can’t.
[Murder cases don’t happen very often.]
I tried to lie to myself. But in truth, I had a vague idea of what was going to happen.
Then she replied, her eyes shining.
[Shounen, do you know how many bodies are found in Japan due to unnatural deaths?]
I didn’t know the exact number, so I tilted my head.
Then Kirinomiya-senpai’s voice became more lively.
[That’s 160,000 bodies a year. I wonder how many of them are mistakenly ruled as accidents or suicides. Even if it is a murder, the police will dismiss it as a non-incident unless there is something suspicious about the body. There are only a limited number of people available to investigate.]
[If there are 160,000 of them, wouldn’t it be strange to find one of them?]
[That’s right. If someone kills you and it’s ruled a suicide, the person who killed you will be very disappointed. It would be a shame for them to die. Don’t you think it is the duty of the living to listen to the voices of the silent victims?]
[I don’t think so at all.]
She frowned clearly, as if she was disappointed that her idealism didn’t work.
[You’re not very romantic, are you?]
[I think only Kirinomiya-senpai would feel romance in a corpse.]
[Anyway, I think she’s going to die today.]
I almost screamed at the words she threw out.
[By ‘she’, do you mean someone Kirinomiya-senpai knows is going to die today?]
Kirinomiya-senpai squinted her long eyelashes and looked down in thought.
[Not really an acquaintance. I only talked to her once. But I saw ‘that’]
[‘That’…]
Her smile, which until then had been simply gorgeous, suddenly wavered as if it had taken on a dark shade.
[I saw the ‘Lycoris Radiata’] {TN: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lycoris_radiata]
I felt a chill run down my spine as she smiled with shadows on her face.
I could hear the sound of everyday life breaking down near my ears.
Seeing ‘Lycoris Radiata’ = her special constitution.
It’s Kirinomiya-senpai’s ability to see who is about to be killed.
I don’t want to get involved in a murder case if I can help it. I want to live an ordinary life in peace and tranquility.
However, it seems that she won’t let me do so.
And if there really is going to be an incident like that, I’m not going to be able to sleep without doing something about it.
With a deep sigh, I reluctantly walked along with her.
And then, we stepped out of our everyday lives and got caught up in a depressing incident.
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