Morning sunlight filtered through the windows of the Sakamori household.
Silence.
Peace.
Tranquility.
A truly serene morning.
It was disgusting.
Kiyomi Sakamori sat cross-legged in the middle of her bedroom floor.
“Something’s wrong.”
I narrowed my eyes.
“Everything’s been far too quiet.”
My room was an organized catastrophe.
The sort of room that looked like a complete disaster zone to the untrained eye.
A garbage dump if you will.
Yet I knew where every single thing in the room was at all times.
It was the perfect mess.
Manga volumes were stacked in uneven towers beside neatly labeled folders.
Empty snack wrappers shared space with color coded notebooks.
A whiteboard leaned against the wall, covered in photographs, arrows, sticky notes, and enough handwritten annotations to concern any licensed mental health professional.
Not that I trusted such weirdos.
Across the top, written in bold red marker: Operation: Save My Idiot Brother
Below it sat several photographs.
All girls linked to my brother.
Hikari.
Akane.
Miya.
Yurika.
Rin.
The photographs were all connected by a web of different colored string.
And, taped slightly off-center near the bottom… Kaito.
Someone had drawn little spirals in his eyes with black marker.
Obviously that someone was not me.
I was much too sophisticated of a lady for such childish things.
Beneath his picture was a single note.
Current Status: Dense.
I nodded to myself.
“Accurate.”
A knock sounded at my door.
“Kiyomi?”
It was Kaito’s voice.
“Breakfast.”
I didn’t answer.
“…Kiyomi?”
Still nothing.
The door slid open.
Kaito peeked inside.
His eyes slowly traveled across the room.
The whiteboard.
The photographs.
The string.
The notebook labeled Evidence.
Then finally his eyes rested upon his own picture.
He paused for an inordinate amount of time.
Too long for my tastes.
“Umm… why do I have spirals for eyes?”
Without even looking up, I answered, “Artistic interpretation.”
“I don’t think that’s what artistic interpretation means.”
“It is if you’re talented.”
Kaito sighed.
“Mom said breakfast’s ready.”
“I’m conducting an investigation.”
“At seven in the morning?”
“Crime doesn’t sleep.”
“There isn’t a crime.”
“Exactly what they want you to think.”
“Who’s ‘they’?”
I finally looked up.
A big grin lit up my face.
“Excellent question, Onni-chan.”
“You don’t know, do you?”
“I have suspects.”
I pointed dramatically toward the board.
Kaito followed my finger.
“Why is President Amakawa on your wall?” He asked with a slight look of shock on his face.
“Suspicious blonde.”
“Vice President Kanzaki?”
“Suspicious purple.”
“Hikari and Akane?”
“Victims.”
“Miya?”
“Potential victim. The story hasn’t gotten there yet.”
“Me?”
I looked at him with complete seriousness.
“The motive.”
“That somehow concerns me.”
“It should.”
Kaito stared at the board for another moment.
“I’m choosing not to ask any more questions.”
“A wise decision.”
He closed the door behind him.
Silence returned.
I waited until she heard his footsteps disappear down the hallway.
Then slowly stood.
My playful grin faded.
I picked up a folder from the floor.
Unlike everything else in the room… this one was meticulously organized.
Inside were handwritten notes.
Dates.
Class schedules.
Committee assignments.
Practice times.
Teacher requests.
Every strange “coincidence” I had complained about.
Every interruption Akane had experienced.
I flipped through the pages.
“Too many coincidences…”
Another page.
“Too convenient…”
Another.
“Too consistent.”
I closed the folder.
My eyes drifted to Yurika’s photograph.
“No normal high school girl is this efficient.”
Then to Rin’s.
“And nobody takes this many notes unless they’re hiding something.” I, of course, was not hiding anything despite my meticulous note taking.
A slow grin spread across my face.
“Good.”
I grabbed my school bag.
“I was getting bored.”
I slung it over my shoulder and pointed at the board like a detective announcing the culprit.
The room instantly became black and white.
Noir jazz began playing from nowhere.
“Operation: Cheshire Cat…”
My grin widened.
“…officially begins.”
The morning passed without incident.
Which, to an experienced sleuth such as myself, was the first incident.
I sat in class with my chin resting on one hand, idly twirling a pencil between my fingers.
From the outside, I looked bored.
But, inside my head…
“Subject Blonde has maintained a perfectly normal routine for eighty-seven minutes.”
I sighed.
“Suspicious.”
The bell rang.
Teachers began moving to their next room to teach their subject matter.
Some students got up to use the bathroom or to stretch their legs.
Many rushed into the hallways to use the bathroom or get a drink before their next class started.
Some met up with friends to discuss plans or whatever popped into their heads.
I didn’t move immediately.
I remained in my seat.
Observant.
I waited.
I knew the schedules of my prey thanks to my excellent detective skills.
Three…
Two…
One…
Yurika Amakawa stepped out of her classroom exactly on cue.
“There you are,” I murmured.
I slipped into the flow of students several groups behind the Student Council President.
Unlike the heroes in spy movies, I didn’t hug walls or duck behind conveniently placed potted plants.
I simply became part of the crowd.
That’s how you truly become invisible.
You become part of the scenery.
You blend in with the crowd.
You don’t stand out.
When Yurika slowed to greet a teacher, I stopped to admire a bulletin board.
When Yurika turned a corner, I let another group of students pass before following.
When Yurika crossed the courtyard, I adjusted my route just enough to keep a steady line of sight without ever closing the distance.
I’d done this before.
Just not for anything quite this ridiculous.
Okay, maybe for things that were this ridiculous.
Or maybe that word just doesn’t have much meaning for me anymore.
If anything, this was all serious business.
My idiot brother’s life was at stake.
It was super serious.
And more importantly, I was bored… That was the truly serious matter.
“Observation distance maintained.”
I gave myself a metaphorical pat on the back.
Or maybe metaphysical?
I don’t know.
Some fancy term that means I’m awesome.
Clearly the author thinks I’m the best girl.
Because I am.
“Excellent.”
Yurika stopped near the faculty office.
She exchanged a few polite words with a history teacher before accepting a folder.
Nothing unusual.
Nothing secretive.
Nothing worth a second glance.
Except…
I watched Yurika glance, not at the folder in her hands, but down the hallway.
Toward a certain rom-com protagonist’s classroom.
Toward Kaito’s classroom.
In case you’re also dense and needed me to spell that out for you.
God, you’re dumb.
You remind me of someone.
Several someones to be exact.
Not me, of course.
The glance lasted less than a second.
But that’s all an observant person like myself needed.
Then Yurika continued walking.
My pencil was already moving across a small notebook I’d pulled from my bag.
10:18 a.m.
Subject Blonde acquires paperwork.
Confirms location of Idiot Brother before departing.
Why?
I underlined Why multiple times because it was important.
I was fairly certain Blonde was into my brother.
And by fairly certain I mean I would bet one of your kidneys on it.
I mean you only need one.
Stop being so selfish and help a girl out.
I tapped the notebook against my chin.
“Interesting.”
Not enough.
I needed a concrete pattern.
One coincidence was just that, a coincidence.
Two would pique my curiosity.
Three… three was pattern recognition.
And I was pretty good at that.
You hear that certain group of people who shall not be named?
I’m on to you.
The next opportunity came before lunch.
Yurika spoke briefly with the volleyball club advisor.
Then the library committee teacher.
Then the Cultural Festival coordinator.
Every conversation lasted less than a minute.
Every conversation looked perfectly ordinary.
At least on the surface.
No raised voices.
No secret handshakes.
No envelopes stuffed with cash.
Not even a secret tunnel.
Then again, I don’t know how many of those this school has.
I was pretty sure it was at least 12.
Frankly… I was a little disappointed.
“I was at least hoping for a secret volcano base,” I muttered.
Not sure how feasible one of those would be at your average Japanese high school.
But I’m sure it was plausible enough.
Still… I wrote everything down.
Names.
Times.
Locations.
People.
By lunch, one fact stood out.
Yurika wasn’t directing anyone.
She was checking on them.
Following up.
Confirming.
Almost as though someone else had already put everything into motion.
I closed my notebook.
A slow grin spread across my face.
“So that’s how you do it…”
My eyes drifted across the courtyard.
Not to the blonde.
To the purple haired girl quietly walking beside her, notebook already open as she furiously scribbled notes.
“You’re the courier,” I said out loud as my eyes focused on the notetaker.
Rin never looked up.
She simply turned a page and continued writing.
My grin widened.
“Now we’re getting somewhere.”
It was finally lunch time.
I was famished.
Sleuthing is exhausting work.
I sat beneath one of my usual trees by myself.
My friends would just slow my work down right now.
And it was very important work.
I don’t want to sugarcoat it, but the fate of mankind might be resting on my shoulders right now.
My notebook was wide open.
I flipped back to one of the earlier pages.
Across the top it read:
Chapter 13
No… scratch that.
I scribbled over it and rewrote it.
The Day The Blonde Appeared.
Perfect.
Below it:
Suspiciously perfect.
Knows too much.
Definitely likes Idiot Brother.
Possibly dangerous.
I nodded.
“I stand by every word.”
I turned another page.
Hikari.
Another.
Akane.
I read through every note I’d written over the past week.
Then quietly muttered…
“It’s exactly the same.”
Not the events.
The structure.
First… more responsibilities.
Then… less free time.
Finally… coincidences.
Always… coincidences.
I tapped the page with my pencil.
“They’re not attacking the girls.”
I rubbed my chin, trying to get my brain’s juices flowing.
“They’re attacking…”
My pencil stopped.
“…opportunity.”
Silence.
I slowly underlined the word.
Opportunity.
“They don’t care where Idiot Brother is…”
I was slowly making breakthroughs in the case.
“…They care who reaches him. Who has access to him and when.”
Another page.
Another list.
My writing looked like chicken scratch to the untrained eye but it was a meticulously crafted code that only I could read.
I began writing.
Objective: Reduce interaction.
Without appearing responsible.
I stared at the sentence.
Then grinned.
I truly was beginning to crack this case.
“Oh… so that’s your game.”
Just then… a voice drifted across the courtyard.
“Vice President…”
Rin looked up from her notebook.
As did I.
A teacher approached.
“…I’ve updated the committee roster you requested.”
“Thank you, Ms. Takahashi.”
Rin accepted the papers.
Bowed politely.
Continued walking.
I didn’t look at the papers.
I watched… who handed them over.
Then… who Rin handed them to.
And finally… who those people spoke to next.
One.
Two.
Three.
Like dominoes.
Checkmate.
A single document.
Five people.
By the end of the chain… a classroom schedule had changed.
My eyes widened.
“Holy crap.”
I wasn’t just watching a conspiracy.
I was watching logistics.
The President wasn’t pulling strings.
She was giving orders.
Rin… aka, Purple, was moving the pieces.
Realization slowly dawned on my face.
My adorable face if I do say so myself.
“I’ve been looking at the magician…”
I looked toward Rin.
“…When I should’ve been looking at the assistant.”
I shook my head.
“No…”
I frowned.
“The assistant’s actually doing all the work.”
I scribbled furiously.
Purple = Logistics
I stared at the page.
“Now we’re getting somewhere.”
A slow smile spread across my face.
“…You do all the running.”
I circled Rin’s name once.
Not heavily.
Just enough to remind myself.
Watch the purple one.
I snapped the notebook shut.
“I’ve been following the queen…”
I stood, slinging my bag over one shoulder.
“…when I should’ve been watching the rook.”
I took three steps.
Then stopped.
“Wait…”
I frowned.
“…Is it the rook?”
I stared thoughtfully into space.
“…Or the bishop?”
I pondered this question for a bit more.
“…Eh.”
I shrugged.
“I’m making the chess references. Anybody who actually knows chess can deal with it.”
With that, I marched off toward the main building.
Completely satisfied with my analogy.
Obviously, it was one of the greatest analogies of all time.
A GOAT.
Like that bald basketball guy my brother is always talking about.
I don’t remember his name right now because sportsball isn’t important.
What is important is my amazing analogies.
The afternoon sun hung high over the school courtyard.
Students hurried between classrooms as preparations for the Cultural Festival continued.
You could feel the energy in the air.
The school had been preparing for this for the past few weeks and it was almost here.
I leaned casually against a hallway window.
Notebook in hand.
“Theory time…”
I flipped to a fresh page.
Across the top I wrote: Hypothesis
Then beneath it:
Blonde chooses the target.
Purple creates the opportunity.
I tapped the pen against the page.
“If that’s true…”
I continued to tap my pen against the page.
“…Then Purple should always move first.”
I looked down the hallway.
Almost on cue… Rin emerged from the Student Council room.
Notebook tucked neatly beneath one arm.
Purposeful.
Efficient.
I smiled.
“There you are.”
I followed her.
Not closely.
Just enough to keep Rin within sight.
Standard following tactics.
Rin stopped outside the faculty office.
She exchanged a few quiet words with Mr.
Hayashi.
He nodded.
Signed a document.
Rin bowed politely.
Then continued on her way.
No secrecy.
No hesitation.
Just another routine Student Council task.
I didn’t write anything.
Not yet.
Instead… I checked the time.
1:42 p.m.
“Let’s see what else Purple gets up to…”
The next class ended.
Students filled the hallway once again to do whatever tasks they needed to do before their next class began.
I drifted toward my brother’s class.
Just in time to see Mr.
Hayashi step inside.
Mr.
Hayashi cleared his throat.
“Attention, everyone. I have a small announcement…”
Most students looked up.
One or two had their heads down.
“The committee schedule has been revised.”
He handed out updated sheets.
My eyes immediately scanned the pages.
Akane.
No changes.
Hikari.
No changes.
Kaito… still the same.
I frowned.
“Huh?”
Maybe I was wrong.
Nah, that couldn’t possibly be the case.
When was I ever wrong?
Then… my eyes dropped to a different name.
Miya Aizawa.
Festival Logistics Meeting.
Tomorrow.
Immediately after classes.
I blinked.
“Miya?”
That was new.
Very new.
Miya wasn’t on the logistics committee.
Why would… my train of thought stopped cold.
Then my brain went back to its usual genius self.
“Is Miya… next?”
I slowly looked back toward the hallway.
Toward the direction Rin had gone.
“No…”
I huffed.
“…You’re already moving.”
I quietly slipped the schedule into my notebook.
One page later I wrote: Prediction
Tomorrow…
Miya will spend less time with Idiot Brother.
I stared at the words.
“If this happens…”
I closed the notebook.
“…I’ve got you.”
I sighed.
“…And if it doesn’t, I’ll pretend I never wrote this.”
The final bell rang.
Students poured into the hallway once more, this time eager to head home or to their after school clubs.
I pondered my theories for a few minutes as students streamed by.
A voice interrupted my very important thoughts.
“Kiyomi?”
I looked up.
Kaito stood in the doorway.
“There you are. I’ve been looking everywhere.”
I smiled innocently.
Because why wouldn’t I?
I’m an incredibly innocent young lady.
“Really, Onni-chan? You checked the roof?”
“…No.”
“The library?”
“…No.”
“The ventilation system?”
“Kiyomi…”
“I’m just making sure you’re thorough. Because clearly you didn’t check everywhere…”
Kaito sighed.
“I swear…” He shook his head.
“…One day you’re going to become a supervillain or something.”
I gasped dramatically.
This was of course accompanied by a dramatic gesture as well.
“Such an awful accusation! I prefer ‘morally flexible investigator.'”
“That somehow sounds worse…”
He shook his head with an amused smile.
“C’mon. I’ll walk you home.”
I fell into step beside him.
Even though he was an idiot he could be quite the gentlemen sometimes.
Offering to walk me home even though he had basketball practice after school.
I turned to him.
“I need to use the restroom first.”
He looked back at me with suspicion.
How could he suspect anything untoward from innocent little old me?
“What are you planning?”
“Nothing…”
“I know you’re planning something. Don’t make me follow you…”
“Ew… big brother. Didn’t know you were a perv and a siscon…”
“I am not a siscon!”
“So you admit to being a perv?”
“I hate you so much.”
“I can’t believe my Onni-chan lusts for me so. I mean I know I’m quite the catch but still…”
“Die.”
As we walked, I glanced back toward the Student Council office one last time.
A cute and innocent and totally not devious smile adorned my face.
“Tomorrow.”
I whispered so quietly that Kaito didn’t hear.
“…Let’s see if I’m right.”