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The lunch break bell on the third day of school, like a signal to thaw a glacier, instantly ignited the hustle and bustle of Koudo Ikusei High School campus.
In Class 1-C's classroom, the tense atmosphere of the morning suddenly relaxed. Students stood up one after another, their laughter and the scraping of chairs intertwining into a cacophony.
They had been stifled all morning, but for next month's class points, they had all acted like excellent students in class.
Ryuuen was very pleased with this; at this rate, their Class C would jump directly to Class B next month, which was just around the corner!
Shiina Hiyori still sat quietly in the corner by the window, her silver long hair gleaming softly in the midday sun.
She closed the mystery novel in her hand, but deep within her violet eyes, there was no post-class relaxation, but rather a hint of imperceptible trouble.
Ryuuen Kakeru's command, like an invisible shackles, weighed on her heart.
Observe Sakamoto?
This task sounded simple, but executing it was like searching for a specific star in a fog.
Her only interaction with Sakamoto was that brief and peculiar encounter in the library yesterday.
They exchanged contact information, discussed Chandler and Marlowe, and he helped her retrieve that copy of "Farewell, My Lovely."
...That was all.
They weren't even friends, just two readers who had accidentally crossed paths in the world of mysteries.
Her understanding of him was limited to his almost inhumanly elegant demeanor, his deep, calm eyes, and his unique understanding of mystery novels.
As for his daily whereabouts, habits, or what he did during lunch break, she knew nothing.
Student Ryuuen really gave her a difficult problem.
Shiina Hiyori sighed softly, her fingertips unconsciously stroking the spine of the book.
Where should she start?
The library?
The cafeteria?
Or just wander aimlessly around campus, hoping for luck?
It felt like searching for a suspect with no clues in a mystery novel.
Just as she was lost in thought, her eyes slightly bewildered—
Outside the window!
A tall and slender black figure, like a gust of wind, swept past!
Extremely fast, the hem of his wine-red school uniform lifted by the wind in an almost imperceptible arc, and his black-rimmed glasses reflected a momentary gleam in the sunlight.
Sakamoto!
Shiina Hiyori's pupils instantly widened.
It was him!
It was definitely him! That unique stride, as if measured, that composed demeanor even while running, she would never mistake it!
Where was he going?
Why was he in such a hurry?
Was something important happening?
A series of questions, like stones thrown into a calm lake, instantly shattered Shiina Hiyori's bewilderment!
An opportunity!
This was definitely an excellent opportunity to observe Sakamoto and understand his true self!
It could both complete Ryuuen's task and satisfy her deepest curiosity about this mysterious "book friend"!
Shiina Hiyori no longer hesitated!
She quickly stood up, her movements light and fluid.
She didn't even have time to put the book back in the drawer, merely stuffing it into the shoulder bag she carried with her, then quickly walked out of her seat and chased after him towards the classroom door!
The corridor was already packed with students heading to the cafeteria or activity areas, bustling with noise.
Sakamoto's figure had already disappeared around the corner.
Shiina Hiyori's eyes narrowed slightly, and relying on the fleeting sense of direction from her glimpse, she quickly determined Sakamoto's path.
Her slender figure weaved through the crowded stream of people like a fish, her silver long hair leaving a faint trail behind her.
Sakamoto's pace was too fast!
Even with Shiina Hiyori quickening her steps, she could only barely catch a fleeting glimpse of his silhouette disappearing at the far end of the corridor.
That dashing and fluid speed made it almost impossible for Shiina Hiyori to keep up.
She chased all the way, through the noisy corridors of the main teaching building, past the verdant courtyard, and continued towards the more outer areas.
The midday sun was a bit dazzling, and the air was filled with the aroma of food and the clamor of youth.
Shiina Hiyori panted slightly, a faint blush appearing on her fair cheeks from running.
Her violet eyes were fixed ahead, not daring to relax in the slightest.
Sakamoto's figure was like a phantom, always disappearing around the next corner just as she was about to catch up.
Finally, following that faint wine-red figure, she arrived at the shopping center in the service area.
Here, shops lined the streets—restaurants, convenience stores, bookstores, cafes... various signs were dazzling, and the crowd was even denser.
Shiina Hiyori stopped, standing in front of an elegantly decorated cafe, panting slightly, her violet eyes anxiously scanning her surroundings.
Where is he?
Sakamoto's figure... disappeared!
She stood under the cafe's sign; this shop was somewhat famous on campus for its selected coffee beans and elegant atmosphere.
At this moment, through the bright floor-toceiling glass windows, one could see it filled with various students, either conversing in low voices or engrossed in books, and the rich aroma of coffee seemed to drift through the air.
But now, none of that mattered.
Shiina Hiyori's heart sank.
She lost him?
She unwillingly looked around again, her gaze sharply scanning every passerby, every shop entrance, trying to catch that familiar figure once more.
No... still no... Just as her brows furrowed slightly, and a hint of annoyance and loss flickered in her violet eyes—
Her gaze, by chance, fell on a spot under a lush cherry blossom tree diagonally opposite the cafe.
There, another girl stood.
That girl had long, smooth purple hair, with slightly curled ends, falling over her shoulders.
She was also panting slightly, her fair face showing a hint of bewilderment and the same urgency as Hiyori.
She was looking around somewhat flustered, her gaze anxiously scanning her surroundings, seemingly searching for something.
Just as Shiina Hiyori's gaze fell on her—
The purple-haired girl seemed to sense something too, and suddenly turned her head!
Their gazes, in the afternoon sun and the reflection from the cafe's glass, across a few meters, unexpectedly and precisely—
Met!
Time seemed to freeze at this moment.
Who was she?
Why was she here too?
Was she also... looking for someone?
Countless questions instantly flashed through Shiina Hiyori's mind.
And that purple-haired girl—Kamuro Masumi—was also frozen in place.
Two unfamiliar girls, while chasing the same mysterious figure, due to the sudden disappearance of their target, found themselves in front of this cafe.
As if by fate's arrangement, they unexpectedly stopped, their gazes met, and the air instantly became subtle and full of suspense.
Sakamoto's figure vanished without a trace, and this suspense had yet to reach its conclusion.