“I like them all.”
Kaedehara Tōru didn’t answer directly, instead using a vague response as an opening: “However, if I had to choose, I might prefer works that break the ‘barrier’ and engage the reader in a battle of wits.”
“A battle of wits with the reader?” Shiina Hiyori’s eyes were filled with curiosity.
“For example…
giving a subversive, unreliable narrator twist at the end?”
“That is just one technique.”
Kaedehara Tōru shook his head.
“I’m referring to a deeper level of interaction.
For instance, a novel that tells you, ‘All clues in this book are provided to the reader; whatever the detective can do, you can do too,’ but then deceives you through perspective shifts and misleading information.
When you finally discover the truth, you realize you were deceived—not because the author hid the clues, but because of your own fixed mindset.”
He paused and gave an example: “Just like certain works where the murderer appears at the very beginning of the story, even living alongside you, but the author uses clever blind spots to ensure you never suspect them from start to finish.”
Shiina Hiyori was listening intently, clutching her book and nodding repeatedly like a chick pecking at rice.
“I understand!
Just like in some books where the author intentionally adds a chapter that seems completely unrelated to the main plot, appearing to be an ‘author’s monologue,’ but that very passage hides a clue pointing to the murderer!
Readers often subconsciously skip over it, thinking it’s just the author’s idle chatter!”
“Exactly.” Kaedehara Tōru gave her an approving look.
“Then…
then who is your favorite author?” Shiina Hiyori looked up at him with eyes full of admiration.
This boy before her had a deeper understanding of mystery novels than anyone she had ever met.
“It’s hard to pick just one.”
Kaedehara Tōru pondered for a moment.
“John Dickson Carr’s imagination regarding ‘locked rooms’; Seicho Matsumoto’s grand scale of using cases to reflect the ills of an entire era; Soji Shimada’s wildly imaginative trick designs.”
Every name he mentioned made Shiina Hiyori’s eyes light up.
She knew all these authors and liked them too, but Kaedehara Tōru’s ability to summarize their core creative characteristics was a skill that definitely required long-term accumulation.
“That’s amazing…” Shiina Hiyori exclaimed sincerely.
“I like Edogawa Ranpo; the dark and sensually beautiful ‘henkaku-ha’ style in his writing.”
“Ranpo-sensei’s works are truly unique.”
Kaedehara Tōru nodded in agreement.
“However, if we are talking about ‘battling with the reader,’ there is one author’s work you might find even more interesting.”
“Who?”
“You could try looking at Yutaka Maya’s works, for example, ‘The Sonata of Summer and Winter.'”
“His works are known for their malice and unfriendliness toward the reader. Enjoying the story? Read on at g.com.
You can never trust any character he writes.
Just when you think you’ve grasped the truth, he will use a single sentence on the very last page to overturn all your deductions, leaving you in a state of self-doubt.”
“…That sounds so intriguing!” Shiina Hiyori hurriedly pulled her phone from her pocket and noted down the name and the book title.
The two of them stood by the bookshelf, chatting as if no one else were around.
Relying on his reading volume from his previous life, Kaedehara Tōru was always able to throw out viewpoints and works that felt fresh and new to Shiina Hiyori.
And Shiina Hiyori, with her equally solid foundation in reading, provided many interesting responses.
“Ah, sorry, I ended up talking so much without realizing it.
I must have disturbed you while you were looking for books, right?”
After chatting for a long time, Shiina Hiyori finally realized it belatedly.
They had been blocking the aisle for nearly half an hour, and a hint of apology appeared on her fair cheeks.
“No, being able to chat with a true fellow enthusiast like you is more interesting than reading a hundred books.” Kaedehara Tōru’s words carried a sincere smile.
“By the way, I still don’t know your name?” Shiina Hiyori, clutching “The Offering to Nothingness,” finally remembered this most basic question.
“Kaedehara Tōru, from Class A.”
“I’m Shiina Hiyori from Class C.
Pleased to meet you, Kaedehara-san,” Shiina Hiyori said with a smile.
“You can just call me Tōru; ‘classmate’ is too distant.”
Kaedehara Tōru took out his phone and said naturally, “Let’s exchange contact information, Hiyori.
If there are any good new books in the future, we can discuss them at any time.”
Shiina Hiyori’s eyes lit up again.
“Okay!
Tōru-san!
…Ah, no, Toru-kun!”
She corrected herself in a slight panic, then took out her own phone and exchanged contact information with Kaedehara Tōru.
After getting the contact information, Kaedehara Tōru looked at the girl before him, who was as happy as a child because she had found a fellow enthusiast.
Shiina Hiyori, someone with no value in the struggle, not at the center of class power.
She was as pure as a blank sheet of paper; her only color was her love for books.
To conquer her, no schemes were needed, no calculations, not even system skills.
All it took…
was to chat with her about books, and that was enough.
She looked up, her eyes bright.
“I really learned a lot today.
Thank you, Toru-kun.”
“I should be the one saying thank you.”
Kaedehara Tōru smiled and put his phone back in his pocket.
“It’s been a long time since I’ve met someone I could chat with so freely.”
“Then, next time we find some interesting new books, shall we discuss them together again?”
Kaedehara Tōru proposed with a smile, “The library or the cafe near the school would both be fine.”
“Okay!
Shiina Hiyori’s eyes lit up immediately, her fingers clutching the book tightening unconsciously.
“Then I’ll go find a seat to read, Toru-kun.”
“Go ahead.” Kaedehara Tōru stepped aside to clear the path.
“Let’s talk next time; it’s a deal.”
“Mm!
Goodbye, Toru-kun!”
“Goodbye, Hiyori.
I look forward to our next book chat.”
As he turned to leave, a faint, almost imperceptible smile curled the corners of Kaedehara Tōru’s mouth.
Shiina Hiyori stood in place, watching his back disappear among the bookshelves, then looked down at the “The Offering to Nothingness” in her arms and touched the phone in her pocket where she had saved his name.
This unexpected encounter today was undoubtedly one of the happiest moments she had experienced this semester.
…
Walking out of the library, the afternoon sun spilled onto the ground, carrying just the right amount of warmth.
Kaedehara Tōru looked back at the glass doors of the library, his mind already starting to conceive the next step of contact.
The conversation just now had gone very smoothly; Shiina Hiyori was completely immersed in their shared love for mystery novels.
Hiss…
wait…
he was supposed to come here to read books today.
How did he end up chatting instead?
Forget it, it doesn’t matter…